Butterfingers Cupcakes

Happy Wednesday Everyone!
I finally had the day off and to myself and enjoyed every minute of it. I wish I would have slept a little bit longer this morning because it felt like I was in a dream state all day. I was groggy and not quite with it. Oh, well. At least I was home all day.

I hope you have had a great week. I can't believe it is already November. Seems like yesterday it was January. I guess time flies when you get old. Anyway. Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I can't wait for turkey and cranberry sauce. Yum!!! I also get to go home and see my family. That is an extra bonus. I am so happy about going home to Georgia.

As I mentioned earlier, I was able to stay home today and not do much of anything. I am considering this my recovery time from working so much lately. I am trying to get all the bills paid before we go on vacation so we can actually enjoy ourselves. I have been working a lot of extra hours. I did, however, get some time to play in the kitchen today. Yay! I am really trying to improve on my baking skills. One day my dream is to open my own bakery. One day.... Back to today. I came across another blogger's recipe for Butterfingers Cupcakes and thought to myself, I love cupcakes and Butterfingers, what a genius idea to combine the two. I found this recipe on the website So I did just that. Can I say ....yum! I found this recipe on Steph's Bite by Bite Blog. I am so happy I did. They are delicious. I made a few minor changes to the recipe but otherwise it is generally the same.

Butterfingers Cupcakes
adapted from Steph's Bite by Bite

Ingredients
2 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c buttermilk
1/2 c cream soda
3 snack sized Butterfingers bars crumbled up

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
ingredients

4 oz cream cheese
4 oz butter at room temperature
2 c powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 T caramel sauce
3 snack sized Butterfingers bars crumbled

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake liners and set aside. In a bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together and set aside. In stand mixer use the paddle attachment and beat butter for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add both sugars and mix for another 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl. Next add 1/3 of the buttermilk, then 1/3 of cream soda, followed by 1/3 of flour. Make sure to mix each ingredient thoroughly. Repeat until all ingredients have been used. Next add the Butterfingers crumbles.

Evenly divide the batter among the cupcake liners. (I got about 18 cupcakes)

 Bake in the oven for about 15-17 minutes. (Mine took 17 minutes.) Pull out oven and let cook on rack.

For the frosting
Whip the cream cheese until fluffy. About 2 minutes and then add butter and whip that as well. Next add the vanilla and mix until combined. Add the caramel sauce and mix thoroughly. Add the sugar gradually and mix until combined. You may need to add a little more to make the icing a little thicker. Mine was a little runny. Frost the tops of the cupcakes and Enjoy!!!

I hope you give these a try.
I hope you have a great week!!!:)

Chicken Noodle Soup

Hello All!
Wasn't it a wonderful Wednesday? I just found out one of my good friend's is having a boy:) She and her hubby are excited but her daughter.. not so much. Lol! I am sure she will  get over it once she realizes she will have someone to boss around. Hee hee! Any hoo, I am very happy for them.

I have been spending a lot more time in the kitchen lately and because of it I have been much more relaxed. That's always a good thing. I have decided for my birthday and Christmas I want many new cookbooks and baking pans for the kitchen. Until I get some new books I have been surfing the web, watching cooking shows and looking at my fellow blogger's website. I have been trying many new recipes that have been bookmarked for a long time. I will share some with you later but today I want to share my homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Since it finally is starting to cool off, I have been in the mood for soup. I thought to start soup season I would make a classic. I like to use a whole chicken and boil it in chicken stock along with some vegetables. To top it off I use egg noodles. The final product is very comforting and like mom used to make. This soup is perfect for someone who is feeling ill or just want something filling and warm. I hope you give it a try.

Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients

1 whole chicken 4-5lbs
3 carrots diced
3 celery diced
1 onion diced 2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves minced
3 T olive oil
48 oz of chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp celery salt
salt and pepper to taste
enough water to cover chicken
1 8oz bag of egg noodles

Directions
Warm stock pot  with olive oil over medium high heat. When oil is hot add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.

 In the meantime clean the chicken and its cavity. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top the vegetables with the whole chicken and add the bay leaves.

Cover the whole chicken with the broth and top of with water until the chicken is covered. Boil on med heat for 1 hour. After the hour pull the chicken out and let cool. In the meantime cook the noodles in the chicken broth according to directions. Shred the chicken and add back to the pot. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

I hope you give this recipe a try. I enjoyed it. Now I am relaxing and waiting for my favorite show to start. American Horror Story here I come.

Pork Tacos

Hello everyone!
I hope you are having a great day or at least a good one. My day was uneventful. I went to work and came home. Nothing exciting but I did however make a delicious and simple dinner. I have been craving pork tacos for the past week and decided today would be the day I would sate that craving. I wanted the recipe to be no fuss since I had to work during the day so therefore I made the pork in the crock pot. I kind of just threw things in there that I thought would make the pork tasty. I am happy to say it was a success. Dinner was yummy and very easy to make. I definitely will be making this again.

Pork Tacos
Ingredients
4 pork chops - seasoned with salt and pepper
1 package of taco seasoning
1 onion sliced
1 Sm can of green chilies
2 c of chicken broth

Directions
Spray your crock pot with cooking spray so it will be easy to clean. Place the pork chops on the bottom of the pot. Top with sliced onions and green chilies. Mix the taco seasoning with the chicken broth and pour all over the top. Cook for about 8 hours on low.

Shred pork and place in your favorite taco shells. I used soft flour. Fill with your favorite toppings. I used shredded cheese, lettuce, onion, black beans and salsa. Enjoy!

These are delicious and so easy to make. I hope you give this recipe a try. It is very easy and good for a week night dinner. I hope you have a great day!

Chicken Parmesan casserole

Happy Friday Everyone!
The weekend is finally here if that means anything to anyone. Ha ha! It doesn't to me because I have to work all weekend but that's okay. I can always use the dollars. I hope everyone is planning to do at least one thing that is relaxing. It's not good to be on the go all the time.

The other day I was cruising the blogs looking for an easy weeknight dinner and I came across one that looked very interesting. It was on the blog Running with the Deviled Eggs and the dish is called Chicken Parmesan Casserole. I liked it. I changed up her recipe a little bit so I can't really call it Chicken Parm because I did not use Parmesan cheese and I used chicken breast instead of thighs and whole wheat flour instead of spelt but I think her recipe is creative and good. My hubby liked it and had two helpings. If you are looking for something different to make for dinner I would give this a try.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole
from Running with the Deviled Eggs
adapted by me

Ingredients
Base
1 1/2 c bread flour
1/2 c spelt flour (I used whole wheat)
2 packs of quick rise yeast
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 c warm water
3 T olive oil
2 cloves of chopped garlic

Toppings
4 chicken thighs (I used chicken breast)
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 T oregano (I used Italian Seasoning)
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 1/2 c spaghetti sauce (I used a jar of my favorite sauce)
1 roasted pepper (I did not have these)
1 c shredded cheese
1/4 c Parmesan cheese (I used 2 c of mozzarella cheese)

Directions
Put the chicken in a ziploc bag and mix with olive oil, oregano, and garlic and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Bake in preheated oven for 350F for about 20 - 30 minutes. Chop when cooled.
In the casserole dish spray it well or butter the sides well. Add all the base ingredients and stir. It will be sticky. (I used my food processor for this step and then spread it out with my fingers) make sure its even on the bottom.

Let it sit for about 5 - 10 minutes. I brushed it with olive oil. Meanwhile chop garlic and roasted pepper ( I used onion instead). Add the chicken to the base, top with onions,

then sauce, and finally with the cheese. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning on top.

Bake for 35- 45 minutes. Let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!

I really liked this recipe and will make it again. It helped to liven up a favorite dish. I hope you have a great weekend!

Caramel Apple Tart

Hello everyone!
I hope today is a good day. It has been for me. I did not have to work and I was able to play around in the kitchen a bit. My favorite show comes on today. What is it? You ask. Well, if you haven't heard a show called American Horror Story on FX then you  are missing out. This is the 3rd episode and let me tell you. I am hooked. I love it! It is one of the best shows I have seen in a long time. I can't wait to see what happens tonight:)

Back to the cooking in the kitchen that occurred today. I saw on a fellow blogger's site a Caramel Apple Tart not too long ago. It looked so delicious I began to crave one for myself. The blogger, (I am sorry. I do not remember who's blog or I would give you credit) obtained the recipe from Bon Appetit. I changed it up just a little bit. I used different types of apples and did not make the caramel sauce from scratch but all in all it was good. It turned out to be really pretty and the ice cream with caramel sauce on top was a perfect touch. It was also easier than I thought it would be. My last pie effort did not turn out so well. Oh, well. It must mean I am getting a little better in the kitchen. Yay!! I probably will make this again during the holidays.

Caramel Apple Tart
from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

Caramel Sauce
1 1/2 c brown sugar packed
1 1/2 c of heavy whipping cream
6 T of unsalted butter

Crust
1 1/4 c all purpose flour
3/4 powder sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c chilled unsalted butter, diced
2 large egg yolks

Filling
2 T sugar (I also added brown sugar)
1 T all purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon  ( I used ground cloves)
1/2 tsp cardamom
6 L McIntosh apples or golden apples (I used Fuji and jonagold)

Directions
Caramel Sauce
Bring sugar, cream, and butter to a boil in a heavy sauce pan over medium high heat. Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves. Boil until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. This should take about 10 minutes.

Crust
Blend powder sugar, flour, and salt in processor. Add butter and blend until coarse meal forms. Add egg yolks. Pulse until moist clumps form. Gather dough into a ball. Flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.

Filling
whisk the first 4 ingredients in a bowl to blend. Add apples and coat evenly.

Preheat the oven to 375. Roll out the dough into a 13inch diameter. Transfer to a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom. Cut overhang off and press dough up 1/4 inch above sides of pan.

Place apples cut side down, in a circle around outer edge and fit them tightly.

Bake apple tart until tender, about an hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with caramel sauce.

Let cool to room temp and then serve.

 I did not brush with caramel sauce but put it on the ice cream that I topped my piece with.

This tart was awesome. I recommend this recipe. I hope you are having a great day!

Most Amazing Pork Chops

Hello Everyone!
I hope you have had a relatively stress free day. I had to work all day and I am glad to be home finally. The couch is mighty comfortable and it feels good to be off my feet. I have  been looking forward to this all day. I also have been looking forward to dinner. I wanted to make something easy with no fuss. I searched around and finally found a site I liked. Have you heard of the crock pot girls? My friend turned me on to them not long ago and I am very happy she did. They have some really simple but good recipes. Dinners do not always have to be time consuming or 4 star sometimes it is all about comfort and easy.


This week they had a recipe for pork chops and boy it looked good. I thought I would give it  a try. I am always on the lookout for new crock pot recipes. This recipe was easy and delicious.


Most Amazing Pork Chops
from Crock pot Girls - adapted by me


Ingredients
4 bone in pork chops ( I used boneless)
1 onion sliced
1 package of pork gravy
1 onion soup package
1 10 oz can of cream of chicken soup
2 c chicken broth
1 package of egg noodles cooked according to package


Directions
Place pork chops on the bottom of the crock pot. Add the onion on top. In a separate bowl mix together the gravy, onion soup, cream of chicken soup, and chicken broth. Pour over top of the pork chops and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve pork chops and sauce over noodles. Enjoy!

This meal was delicious and easy and I definitely will be making it again. I just made some broccoli on the side.The only change I will make is to not add any extra salt to the pork chops. They were a little salty.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Hello everyone!
It has been a long time since I have blogged. I must say I have missed it and will try not to let life get in the way of me writing again. I guess you can say I have been a little busy and also a little lazy. The sad thing is I have not stopped cooking new recipes while I have been absent but have been slacking in the sharing department. This I promise to change.  I know I am happiest experimenting in the kitchen and I also like to share my results with all of you guys. It is part of the learning process and also helps my to regulate my stress level. I definitely need all the help I can get in that department. Things have been a little crazy around here but hopefully it will settle down soon.

Who is looking forward to the holidays and of course all of the turkey? I know I am. I can't wait for Thanksgiving. Hopefully I will be back at home with the family to celebrate. I have not been home in 13 years for Thanksgiving. I am so looking forward to it. I just hope plane tickets do not rise up in price too drastically before I get the chance to buy them. I aiming for this weekend to purchase them. Keep your fingers crossed that things go well for me.:) Speaking of holidays Christmas is right around the corner. I have already started buying presents for Christmas and I want to be done shopping way before then. I hate the big crowds!

Anyway back to cooking and baking. Today I was in the mood for something delicious and sweet. I finally decided that I wanted red velvet cupcakes. Let's just say it was a good choice:) I found a recipe on a fellow blogger's site and bookmarked  it a while ago to try. I am glad I made these. They were so easy and good. My hubby devoured two of them right away and then told me the rest were in danger.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
from Joy the Baker but adapted from the Hummingbird

Ingredients
For Cupcakes:

4 T of unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 granulated sugar
1 egg
3 T cocoa powder
3 T red food coloring ( I used the paste and eyeballed it)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c buttermilk
1 c + 2 T all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp distilled vinegar

For Cream Cheese Frosting
4 T cream cheese at room temp
4 T unsalted butter at room temp
2 1/2 c powder sugar
1 T vanilla

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F and line a cupcake pan with 12 liners. On med-high speed beat butter and sugar for about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer on high and add the egg. Scrape down the sides and mix well.In separate bowl mix together cocoa powder, food coloring, and vanilla. Add to batter and mix on medium speed until well incorporated.

Add have the buttermilk and mix until blended then add half the flour and mix until blended. Repeat this step and mix until well blended and smooth. Turn mixer on low and add salt and baking soda and vinegar. Mix until smooth.

Divide the batter into the 12 liners and bake about 15 - 18 minutes until done.

 Cool on wire rack.

Frosting
Blend the cream cheese and butter for about 5 minutes with the whisk attachment. Scrape down the bowl as necessary. Add the powder sugar and blend until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and mix until well combined.

Frost the cupcakes and enjoy! I hope everyone is having a good Monday.

Deviled Eggs

Happy Labor Day!
I also want to wish my brother a Happy Birthday! I love you:)

 I hope it was filled with good bbq food, family, and friends. I know I had a great day with my family and friends. It was very leisurely and fun. We planned to bbq and swim at one of our friend's houses but it did not quite work out as planned. Oh sure we cooked, ate, and laughed but we may forgotten about the swimming part until we were way too stuffed to do it. Oh well. It was still good times. I can't wait to bbq with friends again. We definitely made a new plan involving swimming first followed by eating later.

I did get to make some good eats for us. I have never made deviled eggs before but I figured today was as good a day as any to give it a try. I know they are usually a staple at bbqs we attend. I did some research on how to make them and finally settled on a recipe from All recipes with a little tweaking on my part. They were a big hit today and I definitely will be making them again. I love when things go my way:)

Deviled Eggs
adapted from All Recipes.com

Ingredients
9 eggs
3 T mayo
1 1/2 T of sour cream
1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp spicy mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1 1/2 T dill relish

Directions
Place eggs in a medium sauce pan and cover the eggs with an inch of water. Bring to a boil and them cover and turn the stove off. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. Drain out the how water and refill with cold water. Peel eggs and slice lengthwise. Remove yolk and place in a bowl and place egg whites on a platter. Add remaining ingredients except for paprika with the egg yolks and blend until smooth. Pipe yolk mixture into egg whites and top with paprika. Chill then enjoy!

These eggs are wonderful and I hope you give them a try. I hope you are having a great day!

Chicken Parmesan Monday

Happy Monday!
I hope everyone had an awesome weekend. Mine was filled with work, work, and more work but that's how I make that money:) It was tiring but worth it. It was not all work but a little bit of fun was thrown into the mix. I attended my friend's daughters birthday party. I know, not fun in the traditional sense but I enjoyed watching all of the kids have fun. Princesses are really big in these parts. Savannah's birthday party came complete with a visit from her favorite princess, Ariel. The girls had fun singing, dancing, and getting the faces painted by Ariel.

I enjoyed my day off today. I had to do some house work but at least I didn't have to go to work:) All day I looked forward to having dinner with the hubby. I decided to make one of his favorites, Chicken Parmigiana. He loved it! I have to say, it came out really well and it was not hard to make. I did not go all the way traditional and I baked the chicken instead of fried it but I think it was just as delicious. I also cheated just a little and did not make my own sauce but jazzed up a jar sauce. Since this was a week night dinner and not a weekend dinner, I did not want to spend all night in the kitchen but wanted some quality time with the hubby. I have not seen him much these past days because of conflicting work schedules. I definitely encourage you to try this recipe out. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Chicken Parmigiana

2 chicken breast butterflied and pounded into 1/2 inch thickness
panko bread crumbs
2 eggs beaten
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp garlic salt
salt and pepper
2 T olive oil
3 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 c Parmesan cheese plus more for sprinkling on top
1 jar of favorite pasta sauce
2 T basil
1 onion, diced
1/2 c shredded cheese
3/4 lb of favorite pasta

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F. Butterfly and pound out chicken.

Mix flour with salt, garlic salt, and pepper. Put it in a Ziploc bag. Make an assembly line of flour, egg, and pinko break crumbs mixed with Parmesan cheese. Place chicken in bag with flour and shake to coat the chicken.

Then dip the chicken in the egg and then the bread crumbs.

 Place chicken on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through and golden.

In the meantime boil the water and cook the pasta according to the directions. In another pot add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes or until it softens slightly then add the garlic and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the pasta sauce and basil and cook for about 10 minutes or until sauce is thoroughly heated. Toss the cooked pasta into the sauce until pasta is thoroughly coated.When the chicken is cooked through top with some sauce and then add cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted.

Place pasta on plate and top with the chicken. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

I promise this is an easy make and so delicious. I hope you are having a great start to the week.

Five spiced Pork Stirfry with Udon noodles

It's Thursday and I am feeling antsy. The weekend is almost upon us but that unfortunately does not mean much to me. I have to work all weekend:( That's okay I am saving up to not only fix my car but to purchase plane tickets to go home for Thanksgiving. I have already been scoping out the prices and let's just say..it's not going to be cheap. The price we pay for living so far away. Oh well, hopefully we will put away enough money to go home. I miss my family and can't wait to see them.

I have also been feeling the need to shake up our weeknight dinners this week. I am tired of the usual grilled chicken or grilled pork chops. I gave it some thought and we have not had any Asian themed entrees lately. In my pantry I had a package of udon noodles that I have been itching to use. I decided to surf the net for any interesting recipes that showcased pork and udon noodles. I finally found one Cooks.com and just tweaked a little bit for my personal tastes. I must say it turned out better than I could have hoped for. The hubby loved it because it was a little spicy and I rarely make things spicy. He said he definitely would like this again for dinner. Woo hoo! I am always happy to hear him say a recipe is a keeper. If you want a break from monotony give this recipe a try.

Five Spice Pork Stir fry On Udon Noodles
adapted from cooks.com

ingredients
1 lb of pork sirloin cut into strips
8 oz udon noodles
2 c of broccoli
3 T 5 spice powder
3 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 c hoisin sauce
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c ponzu sauce
1/2 c beef broth
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp chili paste
2 T sesame oil
2 T of vegetable oil


Directions
Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium high heat. In a large pot add water and salt and bring to a boil. Add the udon noodles and cook for 10 1/2 minutes of until your package direction says. In a bowl place the pork, hoisin sauce, black pepper,2 T of five spice powder, sesame oil and minced garlic. Toss to coat meat completely and let it sit until the oil is hot. Add the meat mixture to the pan and saute for 3 minutes.

Add broccoli and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the beef broth, ponzu sauce, chili paste, five spice powder and soy sauce and continue to cook until meat is cooked through and the broccoli has softened.

Add the udon noodles and toss to coat in sauce.

Enjoy:)

Strawberry Banana Blueberry Smoothie

Happy Humpday everyone!
For me it was especially wonderful because I did not have to work and I was able to spend some time with my friends. Yeah! Always a good time. I love spending time with them. Makes my week, that much brighter.

In the last couple of weeks, pretty much all of the kids around here have returned back to school. No more summer vacation. You know what that means, summer is almost over and with it all the wonderful fresh fruit. I guess that means I need to not take the fruit for granted and eat as much of it as possible and also freeze some for those lean winter months when they are hard to come by. Today, I was very much in the mood for something refreshing, fruity, and also good for me.

I also wanted something cool because it has been so unbearably hot here. I decided to make myself and the hubby a yummy smoothie. I must admit, I think I may have got my husband a little addicted to these drinks. He never really asked for them until I started making them regularly. Now, he asks for specific fruit combinations:) At least I am doing something right and getting him to eat more fruits and veggies. He can't have all sugar, all of the time.  I find that the more fresh fruits and veggies I use to cook with or prepare the more the hubby will consume them. That is always a good thing. I am sure you guys have also come up with some great smoothie combinations as well this summer. I previously froze some fruit just for the purpose of later making smoothies with them. I also do it so I don't have to put as much ice in because the fruit is already frozen.  I hope you will give this a try.

Strawberry Banana Blueberry Smoothie

Ingredients
1 c strawberries
1 banana
1 c blueberry
3/4 strawberry yogurt
3/4 c almond milk
2 T of honey
1 c of ice

Directions
Add all ingredients into the blender and blend. Pour into your favorite glasses and finish with a bendy straw. Enjoy!

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Greetings and Salutations everyone!
I hope everything is going well today. I can't complain. I had a great day at work and I am off tomorrow. You know what that means..... Girl's Day!!! Yeah! I have been missing out on my girl time. Now that our car is fixed, I can go and do what I want:) That's always good news. I also got to spent some time in the kitchen. That always puts a smile on my face and also relieves stress. That's a good thing.

My hubby has been wanting some comfort food lately in the form of meatloaf. You may say meatloaf?Really? What can I say? The hubby likes the loaf.  I try to at least mix it up for him. I don't make a plain loaf but a cheeseburger meatloaf. He loves it and I do to. It is so easy to make and it tastes sooo good. How can you not like meat and cheese together? Think of a burger without the bun and the best thing about this recipe is that you can customize it to your taste.

I hope you give this recipe a try. This recipe has quite a few things going for it. It's easy, delicious, and it also does not cost very much to make.

Cheeseburger Meatloaf
Melissa DeWees

2 lb lean ground beef
1 - 8oz block of your favorite cheese, diced
3/4 c bread crumbs
1  onion, diced
1 egg
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c ketchup
1 T pepper
1 T and 1 tsp of season salt
2 tsp onion powder
1 T garlic powder

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F and spray your loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Make sure you get the seasoning distributed evenly. Place in loaf pan and smooth out surface.

 I like to sprinkle a little extra season salt on top. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hr and 15 minutes. After and hour remove from oven and drain some of the excess fat. Uncover for the last 15 minutes to brown the top. Let cool for a few minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Yum!

I hope you had a great day:)

Blueberry and raspberry Muffin Mishap

Happy Monday everyone!
I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Mine was okay, nothing special just work, work, and more work. You know...the fun stuff. That's okay, I need the money. I have noticed that my mood has been getting more and more edgy due to the fact I have not been able to play in the kitchen as much as I would like. You know what that means...unhappy wife, unhappy husband. Not to worry though, I have already made it up to him. How you ask? I have been making some of his favorites today in the kitchen. Woo hoo!

First on the agenda today was chicken salad. My hubby really enjoys those wraps for lunch. I am surprised he is still into them and hasn't requested a change. That's good for me. Less work in guessing what to make him for lunch:) After I finished the chicken salad, it was on the muffins. He really enjoys his muffins for breakfast! I decided to make raspberry and blueberry muffins this week to change it up a bit. I have to say this did not go as well as I had hoped. I was out of muffin liners and figured it would not be a big deal. I just had to spray the muffin tins with nonstick spray. I wish it was that easy! My muffins stuck to the side of the tin and I had to pry them out. Why????? I think I narrowed it down to 2 causes. Either I did not spray the tins well enough or I did not bake them long enough. Either way the stuck to the sides. They went from looking like this:

Pretty huh?

To looking like this:

All was not lost, I still managed to salvage most of them and they tasted good.

Raspberry and Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients
2 c all purpose flour
1 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 salt
1/2 c butter, melted
3/4 c almond milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c blueberries
3/4 c raspberries

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F and line or spray muffin tins.
Mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In another bowl mix together melted butter, almond milk, egg, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients but do not over combine. Gently fold in the berries. Divide evenly between muffin tins. Bake for about 25- 30 minutes. Enjoy!

I hope everyone is have a great day:)