Treat Day Wednesday–Halloween Treats!

Ok, so I’ve been a little remiss on sharing my treats over the past couple weeks but rest assured I did make them.

So here we go:

Witches Cupcakes:  Here I made simple chocolate cupcakes, covered with black chocolate icing and topped with an airbrushed sugar ice cream cone.  I also added the fondant details.  If you don’t want black lips, tongues and mouths then I’d suggest a different colour for the hair/icing.

Spookie Cookies:  Left over cookies, icing and some wet on wet techniques!  Super simple, super fun and super tasty.  The black icing is chocolate royal icing with a bit of black gel colouring.  It’ll still colour your mouth but won’t have a bitter taste because it tastes like chocolate!

 

My Chocolate Royal Icing: Take a cup of already made royal icing, add 2 tbsp of cocoa and mix together.  It will be quite thick.  Add 2-3 drops of black gel colouring and completely combine.  It won’t be so dark but let it sit for an hour and it’ll be jet black.  You also won’t require to add water to loosen it up as it will do that too.  This is just what I did, you may need to play with your icing to get the right consistency.

So give it a go.  It’s nice not to have aweful tasting black icing for a change.  I hope it works for you too!

Thanks for looking!

Treat Day Wednesday–Giant Garbage Cookies

Hi there!!!!!

I’m back, for today.  Big news, we are moving.  Nothing drastic really but we’ve decided that we want more outdoor space. So baking and blogging will be sparse for a while.  You know the drill when you are trying to sell a house.  You must live in a home you can’t actually live in.  Good times indeed.

So for some fun, I made these giant garbage cookies.  Meaning they are big cookies with tons of stuff from the pantry thrown in for fun :)  I saw a version on the Pioneer Woman’s show and I liked the concept so I made my own version.  I started with her base and then used what I had.  Her version is awesome too but we are a nut free house, not because we have to be, just because no one but me likes nuts.

Recipe: (inspired by Ree Drummond)

• 2 sticks softened butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 2 cups rice krispies
• 1/2 cup m&ms
• 1/2 cup large chocolate chips
• ideas you could throw in: raisins, chopped nuts, dried fruit, different flavoured baking chips (PB, white, caramel, etc), just have fun with it.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cream butter and sugars together.  Mix in eggs and vanilla.
3. Add flour, baking powder, soda and salt until just combined.
4. Add the rest.
5. Using a 1/4 cup ice-cream scoop,  place 1 1/2” apart on a parchment or silpat covered baking sheet.
6. Bake for 12mins or until golden brown. 
7. Let cool and enjoy!

I wasn’t sure about the rice krispies but I really like the extra crunch they give.  I may add them to different drop cookies from now on.

So I hope you enjoy these as much as the girls and I do.

Thanks for looking!

Treat Day Wednesday–S’mores Brownies

You ever have one of those days?  I’m having one :( 

I woke up hoping I get more answers about my back and all I got were more questions, so I came hope and made these for my girls.  S’mores Brownies!

From where I come from, s’mores were things that you ate in the summer whilst camping, at least that’s what I thought.  Here in the US, y’all love them 365 days of there year and in all shapes and sizes.  Ok, I can work with that :)

Now my girls love graham crackers and marshmallows, but when we tried the traditional way of making s’mores they were a no go.  Then I thought I’d try a twist and use brownies.  Another one of their favourites and mine too!

So I made a graham cracker crust and pressed it into a 9’x13” pan and then poured the brownie mixture on to the top.  Baked for 30 minutes.  Once cooled I cut into bars and then put onto another baking sheet, topped with a marshmallow and toasted in oven until browned about 3 minutes.

Et voila a new twist on an old classic or for us a new twist on a new classic!

Graham Cracker Crust

• two packages graham crackers
• 1/2 cup melted butter

1. Crush crackers in food processor until fine crumbs.
2. Add butter.
3. Press into baking sheet.

Brownies

• 1 cup melted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup good cocoa
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Melt butter and mix in sugar and cocoa.
2. Mix in eggs until completely combined
3. Add remaining ingredients until just mixed in.
4. Pour into baking dish, bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Thanks for looking!

No Bean Crockpot Chili

Ok, so have you heard the term Paleo before?  I heard it for the first time about two years ago but just kind of shrugged and went about my way.  As the last two years have gone by the term has popped up more and more. 

So what is it?  As defined by thepaleodiet.com: The Paleo diet is based upon eating wholesome, contemporary foods from the food groups our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have thrived on during the Paleolithic era, the time period from about 2.6 million years ago to the beginning of the agricultural revolution, about 10,000 years ago. These foods include fresh meats (preferably grass-produced or free-ranging beef, pork, lamb, poultry, and game meat, if you can get it), fish, seafood, fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and healthful oils (olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia, walnut and flaxseed). Dairy products, cereal grains, legumes, refined sugars and processed foods were not part of our ancestral menu.

I like to describe it as the back to basics diet.  The “if you made it from scratch” you can eat it diet, provided you don’t use ready made items, dairy, white or brown sugar or legumes (beans).  Yes, I know that’s an over simplification but I’m overly simple when it comes to food.  Too many rules makes me want to walk away because, if anything, food should be easy.  Anyone should be able to eat healthy.

At the grocery store, the best way to stay in the “zone” of healthy eating is to stay to the outside aisle.  The moment I go down the other aisles, that’s where I get in trouble.  I do love a good processed food :) Crackers are my biggest downfall.

As we enter into 2014 with all the possibilities available, my only goal is to be pain free and to not have to have another surgery.  Sadly there is a possibility there, so I’ve hired a personal trainer who specializes in back trauma to help me strengthen pretty much every muscle I have and to eat healthy consistently.  I mean we all try to eat healthy but who doesn’t like to indulge now and again.

I have no plan to go completely paleo, but I am going to try limit my intake of all things processed.  Now saying this; the month of January is going to be gluten free-ish.  I’m a baker after all and therefore I taste all things I bake.  I just need to gain back control after the gluttony that was the holiday season.  I was so so bad.

My first recipe I’m sharing in the savory department is this crockpot chili.  I must confess, this wouldn’t be the way I would eat chili but when you have a husband who doesn’t do beans or onions, you kind of have to roll with it.  Without knowing it, this actually falls into the category of being paleo.  It’s also a set-it-and-forget-it kind of meal, which I do so love.

Crockpot Chili

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup homemade tomato sauce or favourite organic sauce
• 1 chopped red pepper
• 1 roasted pablano pepper chopped, seeds removed
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp pepper

1. Put all ingredients into crockpot, mix well and set on high for 6 hours.
2. Enjoy!

My mother, in all honesty, makes the best chili.  However, this is darn good.  Even Abby gave it a thumbs up and that, right there, speaks volumes!!!

So over the next month, why don’t you join me while I attempt to stay on the straight and narrow!  Don’t worry, lots of sweet treats will be shared as well. Fun cookies as well as taking some old favourites and giving them a new twist.  It’s also my birthday month followed closely behind by Rowan’s 6th birthday.  Lots to celebrate!

Thanks for looking!