Jell-O Red Velvet Pudding Pops

I can do voices.

Can you?

Like when I was 10, I used to crack my mom and her friends up by doing George Bush and “No New Taxes.”

While teaching, I use a British accent frequently.

The kids think it’s hilarious.

I think.

I wish I could do Bill Cosby.

I mean, like, I try, but….. I think I just look weird.

Like in that “Uh, Katie, why are your eyes going all googly? Are you ok? Are you choking? Katie!! BREATHE!”

~ ‘Hey, it’s cool. I’m just doing Bill Cosby, you know with the ‘pudddddingg?”

Heh.

I crack myself up.

So, anyhow, I love Jell-O. Jell-O pudding, Jell-O salad, cubed Jell-O, jiggly Jell-O, layered Jell-O, you get it.

So I made my first batch of Jell-O pudding pops.

They’re homemade Fudgesicles. I can’t believe Grandma never made these for me…. After all those quarters I’d beg her for when I heard the ice cream man coming.

Stifling 106 degree summers in Sacramento, bare feet running across the scalding hot tar covered asphalt. Alllll for the cool, refreshing 90 seconds of pure bliss encountered while eating a Fudgesicle.

Before it quickly melted and ran all down your hands and wrists. Sticky elbows for hours.

She did make me popsicles out of milkshakes, thoooose were good.

But these are…. better!!
Cool Whip makes them extra creamy, and prohibits them from becoming so icy!

So come ON!!! Get the kids, buy some Jell-O, find your favorite creation!

Enter ingredient one.

Box o’ Jell-O.

3 oz. Instant Pudding. Chocolate.

Add some milk. Whisk well. Work quickly.

Regular Pudding Pops just won’t do!

I want RED VELVET popsicles!! Add in 1/2 cup or so of Red Velvet cake mix! Or any other cake mix, cookies, etc!

Except, be more decisive than me, and add the cake mix to the pudding mix, before the liquid.

But…. it’s all good.

Whisk in 1 cup Cool Whip.

Prevents iciness. Keep whisking!

Mmmmm. Doesn’t it look good?

Get your popsicle molds ready!

It makes about 24 popsicles. If you’re like me and only have 6 popsicle molds, you can portion the rest into muffin tins, use paper liners, or a silicone cupcake can. Just as good and will freeze great!

Find 5 of your closest friends or family members, and all enjoy a PUDDING POP!!!!!

YUM.

~Peace, Love, and Popsicles Y’all!

Jell-O Red Velvet Pudding Pops

Yield: 24 popsicles

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours freeze time

Ingredients:

3 oz. Jell-O instant pudding, any flavor

1/2 cup red velvet cake mix
2 1/4 cups milk
1 cup Cool Whip, thawed

Directions:

In a bowl, mix Jell-O, cake mix, and milk; whisk well. Whisk in 1 cup of Cool Whip. Pour into popsicle molds or muffin tins and freeze approximately 4 hours. Run popsicle molds under warm water to ease removal of popsicles, if desired.

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Guerita’s Enchiladas

Guerita’s enchiladas. This is my “white girl” version of enchiladas. But they’re sooooo good. Like in that naughty Velveeta way.

If you don’t know Espanõl, guerita, or guera, is slang for “white girl.” While teaching in South Texas a couple years back, close to the border, my students’ parents called me this affectionately. I think.

So, I make my enchiladas with queso. I’m sure anyone who really knows how to cook authentic Mexican food is cringing right now, but this is my Tex-Mex version, and it’s good.

And this guerita right here, I actually like it better with flour tortillas. My husband thinks they’re soggy, I think they just get *fluffy.*

If you’ve got thirty minutes, you’ve got time for Guerita’s Enchiladas. Another excuse to use the beloved rotisserie chickens from HEB. Shred the meat, mix with queso, roll ‘em up, and bake.

Queue the grito!! (That’s the aaaaaaayyyeeeee!)

Y’all yankees (and I mean that affectionately), go look up yourself some Roger Creager and you’ll know what I mean.

First, shred you some rotisserie chicken. Do as grandma says and clean every bite off that bone!

Now, get you some good and spicy cheese dip. I went Texan here. This cheese dip is straight from Telephone, TX.

TELEPHONE TX??!! I swear, Texas must hold some record having every imaginable town name in the country.
Wonder if there’s a Pickle, TX…..?

Use your handy little jar scraper and get every ounce of that 16 oz. jar clean.

This jar is clean!! ~ Tangina’s voice. (Her voice is in my head often.)

Pour your cheese in with your chicken and stir it up. Fill up about 16 small corn tortillas.

If you warm the corn tortillas up in the microwave, they won’t tear quite as easy.

My rustic enchiladas. I obviously forgot to heat mine up ’til halfway through my pan.

Pour one can of enchilada sauce, and sprinkle with more cheese.

When I make these for myself, I use every opportunity to make them hot.
Hot queso. Check.
Add diced green Hatch chiles, hot. Check.
Hot enchilada sauce. Check.
Jalapeño Jack Cheese. Check.

But…. these are for work, so mild it is.

Bake for 30 minutes covered, 5 more uncovered.

Serve!!! Aaaaayyyyeeeee!

~Peace, Love, and Gritos Y’all!

Guerita's Enchiladas

Yield: Serves 4-5

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken
16 oz. cheese dip
16 corn tortillas
15 oz. enchilada sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

Directions:

Clean all the meat off a rotisserie chicken. Shred the meat and mix with the cheese dip. Warm the corn tortillas for 20 seconds prior to rolling. Drop a dollop of meat and cheese mixture onto each corn tortilla. Roll and stack in a glass baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Serve!

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Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

I really really miss blogging. Today is my second day of grad-school free. Temporarily.
I’m taking summer classes, but I have three weeks to blog guilt free.

So, first recipe I’ve been dying to make: Peanut Butter Cake.

Why, oh why, didn’t I try Biscoff cake, as I just bought my first jar of Biscoff, you ask?
I haven’t even cooked with it yet, but it’s half gone.

This may or may not be due to the fact that every day for lunch I take a spoonful.
In case you haven’t heard (like me), Biscoff is a creamy, sweet spread, like peanut butter, but made from Biscoff cookies. It sorta reminds me of graham crackers or gingerbread.

STRANGELY ADDICTING, I might add.

So apparently, I love peanut butter. I’ve published peanut butter balls, peanut better balls, puppy treats made with peanut butter, and now peanut butter sheet cake. How can you make a good thing better?

By adding peanut butter, that’s how.
Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake?
No, Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake, now THAT’S worth sharing!

This recipe was exactly like my grandma used to make sheet cakes. Boiling things on the stove, for example. I thought she was crazy, but once I tasted her cakes, I realized she knew what she was doing. In fact, I found this in one of those old timey cookbooks, from one of her high school reunions from Tule Lake High School, in Tule Lake, California. Home to the world famous horseradish, wouldn’t you know!

Sheet cakes are the best for many reasons.
Number one, they’re easy to feed a crowd. I made two sheet cakes for my nephew’s birthday party for 30 people; we barely went through half of one cake.

Number two, they are thinner, so you don’t feel quite as guilty having a little piece after that backyard bbq; the one where you stuffed yourself with a cheeseburger and a sausage wrap, because they smelled so good.

Number three, because of that gorgeous glaze. No fussy frosting, no calculated crumb coat; just boil you up some peanut butter and sugar on the stove top, and you’ve got yourself one heck of a forgiving glaze. Not even the husband’s finger prints will show as he stuck his pinkie in for a taste.

I think I’ll have to whip this up for my co-workers this week, seeing as how I just gifted away 2/3 of my sheet cake, and left 1/3 for the husband.

Teachers across Texas are pulling their hair out this week with TA- wait no, STAA- wait no, TAKS AND STAAR testing.

I haven’t pulled any hair out this week, but I’ve definitely got a grey patch growing, right behind my bangs. Just ask my mother-in-law. I made her look and tell me just how many grey hairs she counted on this twenty-nine and holding head.

No really, I am really twenty-nine and holding.

On another (and totally unrelated) note, I’ve discovered the beauty of cooking with coconut oil. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should. They may not have it here at this small town grocery, but I can assure you they will in the city. Try Whole Foods and you’ll be overwhelmed with 14 different varieties of coconut oil. I ordered some “Tropical Traditions” brand (not an endorsement, just an opinion) – and I love it. I’ve used it in place of butter in cooking, eating, and baking, even added it to my smoothies. If you haven’t heard about the amazing health benefits of coconut oil, google it right now!

It’s supposed to do wonders for Alzheimer’s, dementia, and helps the liver. It makes excellent cinnamon toast! And it’s a healthy fat, because it comes from plants. It’s about the consistency of peanut butter, but melts at a slightly lower temperature than butter. I’ve found when baking, or even frying up some eggs, the coconut taste diminishes. But I love coconut, so I’d have it either way. Next time I bake this cake, I’m going to try coconut oil, and a chocolate frosting!!

So now, after that long story long, let’s bake!!!

This is one of those get out three bowls to get dirty recipes. WHY oh WHY just not use one?
No worries, it’s still easy.

So, in a large bowl, get your sugar and flour. Now push it on over to the side.

In a second bowl, put your eggs, baking soda, and sour cream.

Whisk it well until it looks like this.

Dreamy. Set it to the side.

Now for your peanut butter mixture. Grab your handy little jar scraper and get allllll the peanut butter out.
We need 2/3 cup.

What’s a jar scraper, you ask? Why not just use a spoon, asks CJ Sheng?

Well lookie there! That’s handier than a pocket on a tee shirt!
It really gets out EVERY last bit of peanut butter out of that durn jar!

Now you need one. Right?

Right? 

Here’s the totally bizarre, but awesomely cool “like grandma used to do it” peanut butter mixture.

In a saucepan, melt butter, peanut butter, and water until it just comes to a boil.

*GASP* – who didn’t wash that pot very well? ~eek~ Don’t look Ma.

Whisk well to make sure you get all the peanut butter off the bottom, it will look like this.

It gets weirder, and cooler, all at the same time. Pour that hot peanut butter into your flour mixture, and stir.

STIR baby STIR!

Until it looks like this!

Now, add the sour cream mixture, and stir until incorporated.

Pretty.

Then pour it into a greased sheet pan, and bake for 18 minutes, or until done. Don’t over bake!

 

While it’s baking, you’ll start on your glaze. Back to the pot.

Peanut Butter, butter, and milk this time.

Bring to a boil and add powdered sugar. Let cool slightly then add vanilla.

Let it cool slightly while your cake bakes.

Take that golden beauty from the oven.

I poked little holes all over the cake with a fork like a “poke hole” cake, to let all that icing drizzle down into the warm cake.

Pour the glaze over the cake while the cake and glaze are both still warm.

I had it warm. WHOA.

WHOO-AAHH.

Good man, good.

Next time, chocolate icing.

 

Life is good. Life is definitely good.

Eat more cake, and then share.

~Peace, Love, and Peanut Butter Ya’ll!

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Yield: serves 15-20

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

Sheet Cake:
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup butter
1 cup water

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
6 tablespoons milk
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. First, combine the flour and sugar in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, baking soda, and sour cream well; set aside. In a small pot, combine creamy peanut butter, butter, and water; bring this just to a boil. Stir the hot peanut butter mixture into the flour mixture, then add in the sour cream mixture. Pour into a greased 15x10 sheet pan. Bake 20 minutes or until done.
For the frosting, combine the butter, peanut butter, and milk in a saucepan. Bring to just a boil, stirring constantly. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix well. Poke holes in cake with a fork. Pour glaze over cake while warm; it creates a beautiful glaze. Let cool and serve.

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Crock Pot Cheesecake

I’ve gone and done it. I’ve really gone and done stuck my foot in it now, ya’ll. I have recently discovered that you can make cheesecake in the slow cooker.

Now my first instinct was, “How easy!!”

My mother’s first reaction was, “How’s that any better?”

Truth be told, it does take more time, but it is much lower maintenance. You see, normally when baking a cheesecake, most recipes call for a water bath. This means you first wrap the bottom of your springform pan in foil to prevent any leaks, then place your pan in a roasting dish filled with 2-3 inches hot water.

It can be very difficult transporting the pan, then watching for cracks in your cheesecake as it bakes, while simultaneously not letting too much heat out of your oven. Then, one must carefully take the hot pan out of the oven while trying not to spill boiling hot water on your feet, and wait patiently for the cheesecake to cool.

Sounds daunting? I don’t like this method for the simple fact that I have, in fact, burned my feet with that hot water, and the oven heats up the whole house. Baking cheesecake in the slow cooker has allowed me somewhat of a “fix it and forget it” method. It might just be dangerously easy. Lucky for me my crock pot is smaller, so I had to use a 7 inch cake pan, which makes a smaller cheesecake.

Smaller cheesecake equals less danger, which also equals less running to compensate.

You still whip up the cheesecake batter like normal, place it in a pan, and get ready to bake. You’ll places a few cups of water in the crock pot, slowly lower your pan into the crock pot, cover the lid, and don’t peek for the next 2-3 hours. This steam bath creates the silkiest, dreamiest cheesecake you’ve ever had, west of the Mississippi.

Let’s start with the crust. Grab 6 graham crackers, and start smashing.

I also had a handful of candied pecans leftover, so I chopped those up too.

I dumped my crushed crackers, nuts, and a 1/4 cup of melted butter into the pan. Stir it around a bit with your fingers, then press into the bottom of the pan.

If you’re using an *actual* springform pan, I would mix the mixture in a small bowl and then dump it into the pan to avoid any butter spillage.

I have springform pans, but not one small enough to fit in my slow cooker.

I also have a brand new slow cooker I (I mean *we*) got as a wedding present. It’s up in the garage, and it’s probably much bigger… but my kitchen is tiny, and I don’t think I have room in the cupboards…. and this is the slow cooker my grandma used. Probably bought it brand new in 1990. *charm*

Set the crust aside and begin on the filling. I set out two 8 oz bricks of cream cheese to come to room temperature.

Ideally, you’ll want to mix your cream cheese with your sugar first, but I was not thinking and threw in an egg.

Don’t be like me.

So, beat well after each addition, a total of 3 eggs.

Then get out your nifty, and a little pricey (but oh, so worth it), vanilla bean paste that was sent as a gift to you from one of your favorite bloggers, NanaBread. It’s the same as vanilla extract, it’s right next to it on the shelf, but it’s for when you really want that vanilla flavor to *SHINE,* and have little black specks in your food for your husband to complain about.

Oh. Just me?

And 3/4 cup of sugar. Add that too. Mix again.

Blend for 3-4 minutes. No lumps people, NO LUMPS!!!

Ok, there’s a small one.

Only a few lumps people, ONLY A FEW!

Then I decided….. wait! I need chocolate!! I’m going to melt up some chocolate chips and pour it in half the batter.
I’m already planning the possibilities… peanut butter, Nutella, pumpkin, cherry… Mounds bar!?

So, melt a good 3/4 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave. Use 30 second intervals or you’ll burn your chocolate. Take it out juuuuust before it’s all melted, stir, and let it sit and cool off a little.

If you were to pour that hot melted chocolate in here, it would probably curdle ya’lls eggs.

Gross.

So, I poured about half the batter in the pan, and then poured the melted chocolate mixture into the remaining batter.

Then drop the chocolate batter by spoonfuls into the pan. Use a knife to gently drag the blobs together and create the *cutest* marbled pattern.

I was SURE mine was looking haggard, but it all baked out ok.

And tasted GREAT!

Don’t be so hard on yourselves, ya’ll!

Now the fun, and safe, part. Pour 3 cups of water into the crock pot, and slowly lower your pan in. You want enough water to last for 3 hours of steaming, but not so much that gets into your pan.

*I GOT WATER IN MY PAN!!!* Of course I would. Ugh. Just take a little paper towel and dab it off of there, nothin’ to get your panties in a bunch about. Not that I did that or anything. Nope. Not at all.

My pan was sorta floating on the water, but I was afraid to try it with any less. Some recipes also mentioned setting the pan on a trivet in the crock pot; mine worked just fine without.

That’s it!! Bake 2-3 hours on high, until a knife comes out almost clean.

Once the cheesecake has set, meaning a knife gently placed in the middle comes out fairly clean, with no liquidy batter, your cheesecake is done!

Turn off the slow cooker, and allow the cheesecake to cool awhile while still in the crock pot. Gently run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake, and even if a crack or two has formed, as it cools slowly, those cracks should heal themselves up!

After about an hour, using tongs and hot pads, transfer the cheesecake to the fridge to cool completely before serving.

My husband and I may or may not have been so excited at this slow cooker possibility that we may or may not have cut into the cheesecake while it was warm to try it.

I feel bad; I hope my brother doesn’t read this. I was just visiting him in California two weeks ago, and he had a birthday. Cheesecake is his favorite; if only I had discovered this then.

Don’t worry big brother, next time I’m there, I’ll make you three. One just for you. One just for me and your wife, and one for the freezer.

I hope ya’ll enjoy this method as much as I do, and experiment with the possibilities. Soon I’m going to attempt a Caramel Latte Cheesecake. It was my favorite flavor from The Cheesecake Factory, which has since been retired. A chocolate espresso cookie crust, vanilla cheesecake, with white chocolate chips, and a smooth caramel swirl. I’ll keep ya’ll posted.

~Peace, Love, and Crock Pots Ya’ll!

Crock Pot Cheesecake

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 2-3 hours (high setting)

Ingredients:

6 graham crackers, crushed
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 8oz bricks of cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
3/4 chocolate chips, melted, and slightly cooled

Directions:

Begin by making the crust. Crush six graham crackers, and mix with 1/4 cup melted butter in a small bowl. Mix with a fork until just combined, and press into a 7 inch springform pan, or something similar (I only had a 7 inch cake pan; whatever will fit in your crock pot). Next, blend two 8 oz bricks of cream cheese with 3/4 cup of granulated sugar with a hand mixer. Slowly add 3 eggs, one a time, then vanilla, mixing until thoroughly blended. Continue to beat for three more minutes, creating a smooth, almost lump free mixture. Pour half the mixture into your pan, leaving half in the bowl. Pour the chocolate mixture into the remaining batter. Be sure this mixture has cooled slightly to prevent from cooking the eggs in your batter. Drop the chocolate batter by the spoonful into the pan, and swirl with a knife to create a marbled look. Now pour 2-3 cups of water into your slow cooker. You want enough water to steam your cheesecake for a few hours and not run out, but not so much water that it gets into your pan (if this happens, try to absorb any water with a paper towel). Cook on high for 2-3 hours (mine took 3), until a knife inserted in the middle comes out fairly clean, and the cheesecake does not jiggle. Do not remove the lid during the cooking process, it needs all that heat! When finished, run a knife along the edge of the cheesecake, turn off the slow cooker, and allow it to cool for an hour in the crock pot, before transporting it to the fridge. When cooled completely, serve!

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Red Velvet Souffle

~Peace, Love, and Red Velvet Ya’ll!

Red Velvet Souffle

Ingredients:

FOR THE SOUFFLE:
1 Tablespoon Butter, For Greasing The Ramekins
3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
4 ounces, weight Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar, Chopped
5 whole Eggs (separated)
⅓ cups Granulated Sugar
3 Tablespoons Milk
1 Tablespoon Red Food Coloring
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 pinch Salt
2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar

FOR THE TOPPINGS:
6 pinches Powdered Sugar
¾ cups Whipping Cream
½ cups Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of 6 (8 ounce) ramekins with shortening or butter. This is where you use the first measurement of sugar; sprinkle the greased ramekins with sugar, and shake out the excess. Set them aside on a baking sheet.
Microwave your chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until almost completely melted (about 2 minutes total). Then stir chocolate until it’s nice and smooth. Stir in 4 egg yolks (make sure the chocolate isn’t too hot), 1/3 cup sugar, milk, food coloring, and vanilla. Throw away the 5th yolk, or cook it up for breakfast.
Beat the 5 egg whites and salt on high speed with your mixer. Slowly add the 2 Tablespoons of sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold your egg whites into the chocolate mixture (1/3 at at time). GENTLY spoon this mixture into your ramekins. You’ll want to wipe the edge of the ramekins clean while also creating a small indentation around the edges – it helps the souffles rise!
Bake at 350F for 21-24 minutes or until the little babies rise and set!
Dust with powdered sugar, or top with Whipped Sour Cream, and serve immediately.
To make whipped sour cream, simply beat 3/4 cup whipping cream, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 2 Tablespoons sugar until pourable. Serve immediately.

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Monkey Bread Donuts

Ohhhh, can’t we all agree how dangerous Pinterest is? After building up my running skills with my BFF, what do we do but search Pinterest and compare pictures on our cool down walk. I am flooded with pictures of dangerous brownie cookie dough oreo bars, and pallet couches that I want to build, and lots of other projects and recipes that distract my attention away from grad school.

Soooo…. I came up with this idea by combining a couple. Don’t ever, I repeat EVER search #donuts on Pinterest.

It’s a dangerous place out there, ain’t it?

If you have some extra time, I highly recommend using Dessert For Two’s homemade donut recipe found here, but if not, biscuits are easy (and grandma’s way)!

Start with your dipping concoction. The “monkey” in this “monkey bread donut.”

In a Ziploc bag, mix brown and white sugar, and cinnamon. Shake to mix and set aside.

Add some cloves or nutmeg if you’re feelin’ spicy!

Open up a can of refrigerated biscuits. I like to use buttermilk or southern; I was told flaky layers do not work well.

~I used to love opening up those cans of biscuits and scaring my grandma, she would jump every time! They sure don’t pop open anymore like they used to, although my heart sure still races when I’m about to open one!

Just buy the can of 5 and save yourself the donut guilt later.

Flatten each biscuit slightly and find a cap to cut out a donut hole; I happened to use the cap to my red wine vinegar bottle.

Heat 2-3″ of vegetable in a dutch oven over medium heat. After about 8-10 minutes, test your oil by tossing in a donut hole. When it floats and bubbles, your oil is ready!

We’re cookin’ with Crisco now, ladies and gents!

Fry donuts less than 30 seconds each side, and only flip once! They cook up fast!

So pretty and golden.

Once they’re fried up, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

When they’re all fried, toss each donut and hole in the sugar mixture.

Place on a wire rack, or back on a plate, and drizzle with……

TA DA!! Instant glaze! Gorgeous and delicious.

Have ya’ll ever had shaved ice with sweetened condensed milk on top? Oh. Muh. Gawsh. GOOD.

Next time ya’ll pass a snow cone booth, get tiger’s milk, and sweetened condensed milk on top. WORTH IT.

Gorgeous! And I forgot to take a picture post glazing because we were too excited to eat them! Sure are delicious when they’re warm!

~Peace, Love, and Donuts Ya’ll!

Monkey Bread Donuts

Ingredients:

1 can 5 refrigerated biscuits (buttermilk or southern style)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
4-6 cups vegetable oil (enough for 2-3" oil in your pot)
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Flatten out your biscuits slightly. Use a cap to cut out the center of your donuts for donut holes. Heat your oil on medium heat, about 8-10 minutes. Mix sugar and spices in a Ziploc gallon bag; shake to mix, set aside. Drop a donut hole in the oil, as soon as it's floating and bubbling, your oil is ready. Cook donuts less than 30 seconds each side, only flipping once. Once donuts are golden, transfer to a paper towel lined plate. When all donuts and holes are fried, toss in bag of sugar and spice, and everything nice. Transfer back to plate, and drizzle sweetened condensed milk over donuts and holes. Best served warm!

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Great Grandma’s Peanut Butter Balls (the real thing)

What is more dangerous than a box of Oreos and icy cold milk? More dangerous than that pretty green box of Girl Scout cookies? More dangerous than hot cookies coming out of the oven? Ok, not that dangerous, but definitely covers the first two – Grandma’s Peanut Butter Balls.

My brother and I spent a lot of time at our grandparents’ house, and I don’t recall Grandma ever actually making the Peanut Butter Balls. It’s as if coffee cans full of them would just appear in the freezer. You know, the metal coffee cans they don’t make anymore that Grandma would cover in wallpaper? The coffee cans I would like to have used for my tomato plants, but now I have to beg the cafeteria ladies for their number 10 cans of corn? Yeah, those. Many a treats could be found in those coffee cans.

My dear, sweet Grandma has quite the sweet tooth, and I am pretty sure that’s where I inherited mine from. Not just “a” sweet tooth, but a whole mouth full. My mom and I dropped off a bag of homemade trail mix to Grandma the other day, complete with dried chocolate covered cherries. A few days later, it appeared as if she hadn’t touched it. Oh but wait, she had eaten every single chocolate covered cherry out of that bag, and it would have continued to sit right there where it was had I not picked it up. What good was the trail mix now, the chocolate was gone?!

I can just imagine her making those 300 peanut butter balls now, licking the chocolate off the spoon, and taking a periodic quality check of the finished product every tenth ball. Makes me giggle. So, every year I could look forward to Grandma’s most beloved treat.

Every Christmas Eve, mounds and mounds of Peanut Butter Balls would appear on a plate in Grandma’s living room. Before that plate was empty, Grandma would come around filling it back up again. Definitely a case of the grandkids filling up on peanut butter balls before suppertime. But, grandparents like to spoil, and it was Christmas, so it was okay. I can see Mom rolling her eyes now. Don’t worry Mom, give it five years and you’ll be feeding your grandkids chocolate cake for breakfast too.

Since the holidays are over, we need another reason to make these treats – Valentine’s Day – yup, perfect. Everyone is over the “cake ball” trend, chocolate covered strawberries are definitely good, but Peanut Butter Balls? Home run, my friend, home run. Save a stash in the back of the freezer? Even better. Husbands, make them for your wives? She may even surprise you with that new deer feeder you’ve been eyeing. You know, the one with the built-in game camera. Ok, so I just made that last part up, but that would be cool. Let’s get to rollin’ those balls…

~Peace, Love, and Peanut Butter Ya’ll!

Great Grandma's Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
3 cups peanut butter (28 oz total)
1 1/2 boxes powdered sugar
16 oz chocolate chips
4 1/2 cups Rice Krispies

Directions:

Begin by blending softened butter and peanut butter in a hand mixer. When thoroughly mixed, add in powdered sugar. The mixture gets tough, and you'll have to take off those big ol' diamond rings and finish up with your hands. The mixture will begin to get crumbly. Add in Rice Krispies and mix. Then roll into balls. I like mine tablespoon sized; I think any bigger and they fall apart as you try to eat them. After forming all ten dozen balls or so, place them on a cookie sheet in the freezer to hardened slightly. Next, melt the chocolate in 15 second intervals in the microwave. Stop just before it's completely melted and continue to stir. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. Some people love using Hershey's bars. I have had really good luck with chocolate chips that are "60% cacao." They melt so smoothly, and when rolling the balls, the extra chocolate just drips off. After freezing the balls for 10-15 minutes, dip into chocolate, rolling the ball between two forks. Place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet until firm. Place in container and freeze until ready to consume!

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Guiltless Cookie Dough Dip

Everybody needs a good excuse to eat cookie dough dip, riiight? I am all into trying *secretly* healthy recipes, so I gave this one a shot. I found the recipe through Pinterest, from Chocolate Covered Katie.

Name is so fitting, isn’t it?

MY NAME IS KATIE PEOPLE!! *giggle*

Of COURSE I love it!

She has got A LOT, and when I say A LOT I mean at least over 100 *secretly* healthy recipes I want to try.

I’ll only try them if they, you know, don’t taste healthy. I mean it’s got to taste just as good as the real thing.

Well, she’s gone and done it with this dip.

So good, you done stuck your foot in it.

Now, she has asked for people not to re-post the recipe, but instead link to it, she’s got big plans.

I will certainly oblige. Food bloggers stick together, and her name IS Katie.

Now, I’m just going to give away one tiny secret, and I don’t wan ya’ll runnin’ off like banchees when I tell you.

It’s got garbanzo beans. Even my mother shrieked and shuddered when I told her. I PROMISE you can’t taste them.

Now, it occured to me a person could also use plain hummus if they wanted. Hummus is just ground up garbanzo beans too. And if your blender was lacking at all, this would help alleviate any leftover chunks.

The only “complaint” I heard from people was that it was slightly gritty. I think this is due to the almond butter.

Now this didn’t bother me one bit because I loved the taste of it, and I knew it was much better than stickin’ my big ol’ finger in a bowl of cookie dough.

I’m trying to work my way back out of the fat pants.

*But,* I just had to give ya’ll the honest feedback of my taste testers. I would make it again, and loved it. And I think anything is worth a shot. ESPECIALLY if it saves you 200 calories!!
So, check out Katie’s post here, and check out some of her other delicious looking recipes.

~Peace, Love, and Hummus Ya’ll.

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Chocolate Tortoni Cups

WOHELO.

Anyone?

Wo-He-Lo.

I was a campfire girl.

I forget what it means but we had this cool little hand signal…. like smoke coming up from a fire… peace, love, bla bla.

I really enjoyed Campfire.

“Would you like to buy some Campfire Candy?”

~No thanks, I already got some. (yeah, right)

“Alright (sad face), thanks for supporting Camp Fire!”

Who’s got two thumbs and went to super hi-seller camp every year, from age 7 to 12?

((insert THANK YOU MOM FOR STANDING WITH ME IN THE RAIN WHILE SELLING 364 BOXES OF CANDY!))

*THIS GIRL!*

So, we had some kind of monthly meetings, complete with rituals, candle lighting, singing, (whoa, sounds weird) and spaghetti dinner.

The kids were usually in charge of desserts, and we made these often. So easy, can be made and frozen waaaay ahead of time, and FUN AND VERSATILE!

They’re kinda a simplified version of fancy chocolate mousse, with crunchy cookie pieces.

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Cowboy Candy, AKA Candied Jalapeños

Cowboy Candy.

Sounds intriguing, right?

The moment I saw this on Tasty Kitchen, made by Rebecca, I knew I had to make them. You can see her original post here.

The men in my husband’s family have walked right out of the Wild West.

They aren’t cowboys, per se, but they love everything about West Texas, tumbleweeds and cactus included.

I, however, like any other sane person, love East Texas.

The lush, green trees… the birds and insects… the creeks and rivers, the trees (did I mention trees?)…

So, in honor of the Great Compromise of marriage, I dedicate this recipe to them. The men, I mean.

Maybe this will give them their cowboy fill, and we can take our next vacation to Caddo Lake.

First, I washed and dried some cute little half pint jars.

I’m certain the folks at my local HEB thought I was nuts purchasing three pounds of jalapeños. Who buys three pounds of jalapeños? Not I, said the little mouse!

I was already nervous.

When you slice three pounds of peppers, be sure to wear a pair of gloves. The first time I made salsa a few years back, I had forgotten. Oh, but was I reminded a few hours later when I went to rub my eyes. I’ll never make that mistake again!

Please, learn from my ignorance.

Next, we’re going to whip up some witch’s brew!! In a large cauldron pot, bring to a boil your apple cider vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery seed, garlic, and cayenne pepper.

No one will notice if you add a few more shakes of cayenne, right?

Apparently my husband’s heartburn knew the difference.

Another word to the wise: my husband had to leave the house while I made these bad boys. I guess I became immune to the smell, but as soon as I dumped the jalapeños into that hot pan, the whole house (all 900 square feet) was enveloped by a spicy gas. What? I didn’t notice anything! ~smiles~  Once you cook down these candied jalapeños, they aren’t as hot. They are a perfect sweet/hot blend. Perfect on a Saltine with cream cheese, like pepper jelly! It’s also great chopped up in potato salad, deviled eggs, anything you want to give a swift kick to.

Bring to a boil, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add the jalapenos, cover your nose and mouth, and let it cook for an additional 4 minutes. EXACTLY.

Set a timer, folks.

Once your four minutes is up, use a slotted spoon, and scoop all those peppers into your cute little jars.

Then, bring your liquid back to a full, rolling boil. Boil for six minutes. Mine didn’t thicken up quite as much as I thought it would, but I was still impressed.

Then ladle hot spoonfuls of syrup into the jars.

Wipe the rim clean, and screw on your lids.

You can “can” them (he hee, I said can-can) if you’d like, but I figured I would refrigerate them and give most away anyhow.

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