Dark Chocolate & Chili spice Cupcake

Add a little spice to a special evening! 

Thoughts of Valentines come to mind, with this

 Dark Chocolate, Chili powder, Cardamom and Cinnamon Cupcake.

Served in a wine glass with pomegranate & white chocolate ice cream.   

 Hot out of the oven, filling the air,  a delicious smell of dark rich chocolate and spice.

Top with milk chocolate icing. 

 Rich, Decadent, Scrumptious! 

Smoked Ham and Vegetable Soup

A Cold Day Cure

This delicious soup was made from a leftover smoked ham, with a generous amount of meat left on the bone.

What I did:

Place ham bone in medium pot with 2 containers of low sodium, vegetable broth. 

Add Chopped: 1 medium onion, 2 stalks of celery, 2 cups of baby carrots, 2 cloves of garlic.

Spice with: 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper, 1  tsp cayenne, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp of brown sugar, 1 bay leaf

Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 2 hours, until meat is falling off of bone.

Remove bone & bay leaf from pot.

Cut away all remaining meat from bone and return meat to pot.

*If the pieces of meat are very large, slice into smaller bite size pieces 

Add: 1 bag each:  broccoli slaw, and coleslaw

3 small peeled & chopped sweet potato.

1/2 cup of tomato paste

Continue cooking on low heat for 1 or more hours.

Stir frequently.

Serve and Enjoy! 

BBQ Chicken Ranch Salad with Green Pears

New Year = Healthy Start 

A really simple & delicious lunch, or dinner

What you need:

Baby spinache and kale.

Grilled chicken breast, seasoned with garlic, 

 & lightly basted with your favorite BBQ sauce.

Chopped cucumber, red pepper, tomato &  green pear.

Grated Sharp cheddar cheese

Mixed nuts with currents, sunflowerseeds, peanuts,

 cashews, almonds & pumpkin seeds. 

Your favorite brand of ranch dressing.

Make a bed with the greens & top with vegetables and fruit.

 Add Grilled chicken, top with grated cheddar, then sprinkle with nut mixture & more pears. 

Drizzle top with  ranch dressing. 

Absolutely delicious. 

Enjoy!   

Vanilla Shortbread

A holiday favorite

What you need:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 tsps REAL vanilla

* artificial vanilla flavor, will not provide good result

1/2 cups icing sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 cups flour

Whip butter, add vanilla

 Then one at a time; add sugar, cornstarch and flour. 

Beat on low for 1 min, then on high for 3-4 minutes until completely combined.

*Once mixed into butter, I usually remove from mixers and combine by hand to form into a well combined ball. 

Using a teaspoon portion, roll into small balls, place on baking sheet and press down with the tines of a fork.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until bottom edges of cookie are lightly browned.

Cool on rack, store in airtight container.

Should be stored in cool dark area.

1 week stored in dark area on counter,  2 weeks in fridge, do not  freeze. 

Lemon Chip Cookies

Lemon Chip Cookies

If you love lemon, these will hit the spot, 

Delicious with a cup of coffee or tea!  

Preheat oven to 350'

What you need:

2/3 cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

3 tsps of True Lemon, crystallized lemon shake or

6 tbsps of fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp baking powder

1 generous cup of lemon baking chips

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, then

Beat egg and vanilla into butter mixture & add lemon, if using lemon juice.

Sift flour, baking powder and lemon shake, into wet ingredients

mix well,

Add lemon baking chips, mix until thoroughly combined. 

Bake 12- 15 minutes, when bottom edges of cookies are lightly browned.

Cool on rack. Once cooled, store in air tight container.

Counter storage 2 weeks 

Freeze up to 6 months.

Christmas Baking

                                                 “Figgy pudding”
A funny name for a delicious Christmas desert, smothered in a rum sauce and set on fire. I realize, it is not always a  popular dessert, at least not with many I know. In fact, it seems to fall into the same category, as the traditional Christmas fruit cake, or doorstop to some, which I also love. There are so many wonderful seasonal desserts that get a bad rap, another being mincemeat tarts, again, I love. I think you can see the pattern here.

My husband is not a big dessert eater. He does like chocolate chip cookies, but he likes them thin, crispy, without too many chocolate chips. Both of my boys are similar, they have their favourites, but they can actually take it or leave it altogether. My daughter, she is mom's girl! We could devour a whole cheesecake in one sitting. The problem with our love of desserts is that we both have this really high metabolism thing going and sugar is like pumping in straight caffeine. This, can be a slight problem, considering that creating and pushing the consumption of desserts; and of course other meals, is a passion filled pursuit. This means a true test of will power on a regular basis.
 One " cure" , was the week I made 6 dozen cupcake samples. Let's just say there were requests for something other than cupcakes. Of course, I did accommodate the request with cheesecake. Pumpkin, lime, chocolate &  oreo flavours.

Now the Christmas season is upon us. Baking euphoria!
I have been known to do all of my Christmas baking in one day/night. All of it. Still baking gingerbread at midnight; The house smelling scrumptious. My husband thinking I have lost my mind. To be honest, he quite often makes this consideration. But being the wonderful, intelligent man he is; and with his years of experience with the crazy woman in the kitchen , he is always" supportive".
The official list of Christmas goodies is floating in my brain; including, truffles, gingerbread, pumpkin pound cake, , shortbread, cranberry orange fudge and a superfluous amount of other delights.
I will, as always, try to attempt, to schedule the baking over a span of a few days, rather than a one day marathon. But, I make no promises. Once those Christmas carols start to play, that sampling sugar rush kicks in and lets not forget a few seasonal libations on the side. Who knows.
~ Wishing you happy holiday baking!~

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheese Cake

Rich and Creamy! 

What you need:

3 pkgs of chocolate cream cheese

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup organic peanut butter

2 cups of graham crumbs

1/2 cup dark cocoa powder

1/2 cup of butter melted

1/2 cup of melted dark chocolate

Combine the cream cheese and sugar until just mixed, add peanut butter, mix.

Add eggs one at a time, on low mix speed, until just mixed.

In a separate bowl, combine graham crumbs and cocoa with melted butter. 

Press crumb mixture into 9 inch press form pan.

Pour cream cheese mixture on top of graham crumbs.

Bake for 40 - 45 minutes until center is almost set. 

Remove from oven and allow to slightly cool, 

Use knife to cut away edges from sides of pan.

Pour melted dark chocolate over top surface of cake,

* melt in microwave 10 seconds at a time, stirring until melted*

spread evenly with pastry brush. 

Allow to cool another 30 minutes on counter

Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving. 

Keep remaining cake refrigerated.

Enjoy!