Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie Oatmeal

What??

What on Earth would motivate me to post on this long-forgotten blog after nearly 6 years of silence?

Well, it's simple, really.

I have accumulated a number of recipes that I want to keep track of in one place.

I'll be posting them here, but probably won't include pictures often.

This baked chocolate chip cookie oatmeal adapted from Apple of My Eye is one of my favorite go-to recipes for breakfast!

It's so warm and comforting, especially on a chilly morning, and several of my kids love it. This morning Benson said as he was eating, "Mmmm, so good, Mom!"

Maxwell, on the other hand, who regularly eats 4 helpings of it, spotted a tiny bit of cooked egg white in his oatmeal and a fit commenced because it was a "cold white thing" and he would no longer eat it.

Such is life.

2 c. quick oats

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

1/3 c. brown sugar

2 1/2 c. milk

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

1 T. honey

1 T. butter

1/4 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. In a 9x13 pan, combine quick oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar. Melt together honey and butter and whisk together with milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients and combine. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and bake for 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Puppy Chow

Here is the famous puppy chow recipe! I know people think it's just muddy buddies, but there are a few small changes that make a big difference in this recipe.

6-8 c. Crispix cereal (NOT Chex)

1 stick butter

1 c. peanut butter

1 1/2 c. milk chocolate chips

3-4 c. powdered sugar (plus more as needed)

Melt together butter and peanut butter and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and heat until mixture is glossy (you can do this in the microwave or on the stove). Pour cereal into a large bowl and add chocolate mixture. Stir gently to coat, trying not to crush cereal. Add additional cereal if it appears to be too heavily coated. In a plastic grocery bag (I double or triple layer mine to prevent a mess), put powdered sugar and then dump in chocolate-covered cereal. Twist bags to close and shake well (this works best if you also close air in the bags so the cereal can move more freely). After shaking for 1-2 minutes, check cereal. If it's stuck together in clumps, break them up and add more powdered sugar and shake again. Continue until most of the cereal is separated into individual pieces, as pictured above. Enjoy!

Fruited Black Bean Salad

I made this salad for a work picnic and it was a huge hit! There are so many different flavors that you wouldn't expect to blend well, but they do. It's like a party in your mouth.

Original recipe here

1 can black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup chopped mango

1/3 cup chopped sweet onion

1/2 cup chopped strawberries

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp salsa verde (unless you like it spicy, get a mild kind)

1/4 tsp cumin

dash of salt

Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Note: this is delicious the first day but disgusting the next day (the strawberries absorb all the other flavors and get kind of fermented in onion and salsa verde). I highly recommend consuming all of it the first day and not keeping any for leftovers.

Sweet Potato Burritos

What? Losaunne cooks? Surprise! And it's not even pasta, my common go-to when I was so terribly forced to make dinners for the family as a child. I chose not to put cheese in these burritos, but I'm sure it would be tasty if you choose to! Feel free to get crazy with the toppings.

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

6 cloves of garlic, minced

3 cans of black beans, roughly mashed

2 cups water

3 tablespoons chili powder

4 teaspoons prepared mustard

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Cayenne pepper to taste

Cinnamon to taste

Salt

Pepper

5 mashed sweet potatoes

20 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet and sauté onion and garlic until soft. Add chili powder, mustard, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Mix beans into the onion mixture. Stir in water, and heat until warm. Combine the onion and bean mixture with the sweet potatoes, and mix until evenly distributed. Add the cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Spoon the mixture into tortillas, and fold the tortillas burrito-style. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes.

Nutrient-Packed Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

These cookies aren't very photogenic, but they are delicious enough to make up for their less-than-attractive appearance. We went on an early-morning "hike" (in Texas that means a walk around a park on a wooded trail), and took these with us. They are perfect for hikes, camping, or just a quick breakfast to keep in the freezer.

Recipe adapted from MOMables

1/2 c. mashed banana (about 1 large)

1/2 c. peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/2 c. honey

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. quick oats

1/4 c. whole wheat flour

1/4 c. ground flax seed

1/4 c. powdered milk

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. banking soda

1/2 c. raisins or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together banana, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla. Add oats, flour, ground flax seed, powdered milk, cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir until just combined. Stir in raisins/chocolate chips. Spoon onto a greased cookie sheet and cook for 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 12 cookies.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pistachio-Cilantro Pesto

Breanne and I love ALDI! Sadly, you Utah folk don't get to experience it, but we'll try to share recipes from time to time so you can at least benefit from it somewhat! This is another incredible recipe from their website. When I saw it, I knew immediately it was something we would love, but when I made it Sam and I were both blown away! This flavor combination is fantastic. Well worth the time it takes to shell all the pistachios. (A fabulous activity for 4-year-old fingers, by the way.)

Recipe slightly adapted from ALDI

Sweet Potatoes
4-5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
1 Tbsp. olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. chili powder
zest of 1 lime, divided

Pesto
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 bunch cliantro leaves
1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese
1 1/4 cups pistachios, shells removed, divided
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 c. olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Toss with oil, seasonings, and half of the lime zest. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender and carmelized. Meanwhile, prepare pesto. In a food processor, combine ingredients (except 1/4 c. pistachios) and chop until desired consistency is reached. Roughly chop remaining 1/4 cup pistachios. Toss warm potatoes with pesto. To serve, sprinkle potatoes with remaining pistachios and lime zest.

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Cauliflower Soup with Goat Cheese

YUM! This soup is delicious, especially on a cold wintery day. 

Picture and recipe courtesy of Closet Cooking

4 red bell pepper, cut in half and seeds removed

1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon thyme, chopped

1 pinch red pepper flakes

4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

salt and pepper to taste

Place the red peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side facing down, broil until the skins are blackened, about 10 minutes, place in a sealable container and let 'steam' for 20 minutes before pinching the skins off and dicing.

Meanwhile, toss the cauliflower in the oil, place it in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees until tender and caramelized, about 20-30 minutes, mixing once in the middle.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and cook the onion until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add the roasted red peppers, cauliflower, broth, paprika and goat cheese and simmer for 10 minutes before pureeing to the desired consistency with a hand blender. Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with goat cheese.

I found the most tedious part of this to be pinching the skins off the red peppers. But you know what? I just realized that I sliced them thinly first and then broiled them. I highly do not recommend that. I'd be interested in hearing if the skins pinched off easily with the peppers only cut in half.

Also, the goat cheese garnish at the end adds quite a bit of flavor--I highly recommend sprinkling some on top!

Sweet Potato Salad

I made this salad one night when the sisters were coming over and it was a huge hit! I made it again on Christmas Eve but I used white sweet potatoes, which changed the taste quite a bit. I like it a lot better with orange sweet potatoes (I think they differentiate between yams and sweet potatoes out West, but I've never seen yellow sweet potatoes here). I got the recipe from Aldi, my all-time favorite grocery store. Here's another reason to love them!

Picture courtesy of aldi.com

Ingredients

6 pounds small sweet potatoes (orange or red), peeled and diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, divided

1/4 cup vinaigrette

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 pinches chili powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice

1/2 cup thawed corn (canned also works, but frozen is better)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup diced red onion

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

In a large bowl, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Spread onto a large baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until tender. Refrigerate.

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette, cumin, chili powder, paprika, lime juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the corn, black beans, red onion, bell pepper, cilantro and chilled sweet potatoes to the vinaigrette. Toss until well combined.

Mango Quinoa Salad

I have really been enjoying the mango-red pepper-black bean-lime taste lately, so I thought I'd add to the abundance of recipes like this already on the blog. This is more of a summery dish, but since at least one of us lives in a place with eternally cheap prices on mangoes and peppers, I thought I'd post it anyway. For the rest of us who will have to wait until these summer fruits and vegetables get back to a reasonable price, this salad is worth the wait! The zing of the pepper, the nuttiness of the quinoa, and the fruityness of the mango makes this salad a big winner. 

Original recipe from Our Best Bites

Salad:

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 can of black beans (rinsed)

1 mango, diced

1 red pepper, diced

6 sliced green onions

1 handful chopped cilantro

Dressing:

4 T red wine or apple cider vinegar

3 T olive oil

2 T fresh lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Toss the salad ingredients together and then pour the dressing over and mix in. This recipe tastes best chilled--give it a couple of hours so the flavor of the dressing can soak in.

Cream Cheese & Ragu Pasta Pie

I took this picture ages ago and it has taken me far too long to post this recipe...all because I can't think of a sufficient name for it! Annie calls it "Mom's Goulash," because that her mom would make a similar dish and call it "Goulash." But since this really isn't goulash at all, I wanted a name more fitting that would do it justice! This is one amazing pasta dish. It's one of our favorites--Wesley can't get enough of it. I just made a couple of pans of it this weekend and stuck one in the freezer to use after Baby arrives (it's a great freezer meal option!). So if any of you have suggestions for a name that would better describe this pasta, please share...I'll gladly change it!

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats

3 cups pasta sauce (I like to use this, but you can use whatever is your favorite)

12 oz. penne pasta (I use whole wheat)

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream (I use Daisy light)

1 egg

1 bunch green onions, chopped

4 oz. mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Mix cream cheese, sour cream, egg, and green onions. Spread a very thin layer of pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Top with half of the pasta. Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over the pasta and top with half of the remaining sauce. Repeat layers. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake uncovered at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Nutella Caramel Layer Cake

This is the cake I made for Father's Day. I tweaked a few things from the original recipe to make it more affordable, but in the end I doubt there was a highly noticeable difference. It was absolutely delicious! I thought for sure the cookies around the edge would get soggy in our Houston humidity and with the frosting and caramel inside, but they stayed crisp for days. It's a great cake for beginners because the cookies around the edge help keep everything together so if your layers aren't perfect they won't slide around, and the rosettes on top are so easy and also cover any flaws underneath. As a long-time Nutella lover, this cake scored big points in my book!

Recipe adapted from Rebecca's Sweet Escapes

I used my standard chocolate cake recipe for the layers:

Cake:

Mix together:

2 c. sugar

2 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Bring to a boil:

2 sticks butter

4 Tbsp. cocoa

1 cup water

Pour over the flour mixture and add:

2 eggs

1 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix well and pour batter into two 8-inch round pans lined on the bottom with parchment paper, greased on the sides. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Caramel Filling:

1 pkg. Kraft caramels

1/4 c. evaporated milk

Melt together in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly before using.

Nutella Frosting:

2 sticks butter, softened

2 c. Nutella (I used the Kroger brand substitute--it's almost identical in taste and much cheaper!)

5 c. powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

pinch salt

evaporated milk

Combine all ingredients and whip until creamy. Add in evaporated milk until it is a good frosting consistency.

To Assemble:

Place one cake on a plate and pipe a wide border around the edge of the top to hold the caramel in. The border should be about an inch thick and about 1/2 inch tall. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to allow frosting to harden, which will create a more sure wall to hold in the caramel. Pour/spread caramel on top of your cake, within the border you created. (If the caramel has cooled down a little bit so it is barely spreadable, it will stay in place better). Place second cake on top and cover entire cake with a thin layer of frosting. Pipe a thin border around the bottom of the cake and insert pirouette cookies (cut to size) around border, pressing into the cake (I used 3 tins of pirouline cookies from Dollar Tree--still wonderful, and again, much cheaper!). Secure with another border of frosting around the bottom when cookies are in place. To create rosettes on top, use a large star tip and pipe spirals all over the surface of the cake.

Homemade No-Bake Granola Bars

These granola bars are delicious! I love the texture of them, and they don't crumble apart like others I've tried. It's so easy to whip up a batch or two and divide them into little ziploc bags to keep in the pantry for easy snacks.

Recipe adapted from Money Saving Mom

2 1/2 c. crisp rice cereal (I use organic chocolate rice crispies, but regular will work too)

1 3/4 c. quick oats

1/4 c. wheat germ, wheat bran, or ground flaxseed

1/2 c. additional mix-in ingredients optional (chopped nuts, raisins, coconut, other dried fruit, etc.)

1/2 c. honey

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 c. peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Combine first 4 dry ingredients in a bowl. In a saucepan, mix the honey, brown sugar, and salt. Over medium-low heat, stir until the mixture comes to a complete boil for 30-60 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well. Press into a 9x13 pan and let cool for 5-10 minutes before pressing mini chocolate chips into the top. Let cool before cutting into bars.

They also freeze well!

Raw Fruit Pie

This pie is so delicious--and the best part is that you can feel great eating it because there are no added sugars! My friend made this a few months ago and I LOVED it. But unfortunately I didn't get any pictures. So I'm posting this so that Kaitlyn can make it and post a picture. :)

[Picture here]

Crust:

Add 2:1 ratio of walnuts and dates in food processor, and a dash of salt if you desire. (If the crust isn't sticky enough add a few more dates.) Press the crust into a pie pan (a tart pan with a removable bottom works best).

Filling:

Add 1:1 ratio of frozen (semi thawed) banana and chunks of mango. Use ripe fruit if possible (it tastes better). Pour into pie pan; freeze. Let it sit out for several minutes to thaw a little before eating.

This is great with mango and banana but would also be great with lots of fruits (I'm thinking blueberries and mango--yum! Or raspberries and blueberries--you could layer it for a cute 4th of July look).

Have fun with it! And let us know what combinations you try!

Zucchini Salad/Salsa with Corn and Cilantro

The other day my friend invited me over for dinner (she made fish tacos--so delicious!) and asked me to bring something with zucchini. I was a little nervous about this dish because the only thing I ever really make with zucchini is zucchini bread, but this was really good. It can be eaten as a salad or as a salsa dip with chips or crackers, and tastes better warm. (I tried it cold a couple of days later and the zucchini was kind of slimy.)

Original recipe here

1 tsp olive oil

3 1/2 cups cubed zucchini (about a pound)

1 cup frozen corn

1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

2 tsp fresh lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Cook zucchini and corn in oil until the zucchini is crisp-tender (it is better a little on the crispy side--otherwise it gets a little soggy). Remove from heat and stir in cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper.

Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint

My friend made this salad for my going away/already gone party in Columbus, and it was delicious! It is so light and refreshing and has so many different surprising flavors (I would never think to pair feta cheese and watermelon, but it works!). This is a great summer dish.

Original recipe here

1 7-8 lb. seedless watermelon

1/4 cup olive oil

Juice from 2 limes

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup chopped mint leaves

1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese

Chop watermelon into 1-inch cubes. Drain the excess juice. 

Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper to create the dressing. Pour dressing and mint over the watermelon and toss gently. Mix the crumbled feta cheese in to the salad.

This is best if served within an hour of preparing.

Pudding on the Rice

Remember Pudding on the Rice? That eclectic little place just off I-15 on University Parkway in Orem? They had the most incredible concoctions available that they called rice pudding, but really were unlike any other rice pudding I had tried! Their amazingly creamy, cold, almost-like-ice-cream desserts in a huge variety of flavors were so fun! 

I'm sad to say that a few years ago the owners moved to Portland, which meant the restaurant did as well. (Not that I could have taken advantage of it anyway, seeing as how Houston isn't exactly close to Orem...) But I was excited to find a recipe online from Studio 5 that the owner herself submitted. Then I found another recipe, quite a bit different, that also seemed to be from the owner. So I tried them both to see which was the rice pudding I remembered. The first seemed far more fluffy than I had experienced in the past, and the second wasn't what I remembered at all. So I tweaked the first recipe just a tiny bit (I used only half of the cream it called for) and then, in my opinion, it was perfect. Below is my adaptation.

4 cups whole milk
2 cups cooked white rice
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large sauce pan, mix together milk, rice, sugar, and salt. In a seperate bowl crack the egg and let sit at room temperature. Stir mixture in saucepan slowly with a flat wooden spoon at medium heat for 45-60 minutes until the mixture has evenly thickened (I didn't stir continually).

Take pan off heat. Take the room temperature egg and whisk it thoroughly, adding a tablespoon at a time of the hot pudding to tempur the eggs. When you have added equal amounts of pudding to the eggs, slowly incorporate the eggs back into the pudding. Return the pudding to medium heat and slowly stir as you bring the pudding back to a boil.

Take pudding off heat, put in a seperate bowl, cover with saran wrap, and cool in refrigerator for 6-24 hours.

After pudding has cooled, whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 1 tsp. vanilla. Gently fold whipped cream into the pudding until it is fully enveloped. Keep pudding refrigerated for up to 1 week.



Additional Flavor Ideas
Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Pudding (pictured)--mix melted chocolate chips into pudding before adding whipped cream. Stir in peanut butter chips, and fold in whipped cream.

Raspberry Rice Pudding--Add frozen raspberries and mix into the pudding before folding in whipped cream.

Lemon Poppyseed Rice Pudding--Stir in lemon curd and poppyseeds before folding in whipped cream.

Strawberries 'n Cream Rice Pudding (pictured)--Stir in strawberry jam before folding in whipped cream.

Cookies 'n Cream Rice Pudding--Stir in Oreo crumbs before folding in whipped cream.

Traditional Cinnamon Rice Pudding (pictured)--Stir in cinnamon before folding in whipped cream.



Our favorite that we've tried is the chocolate peanut butter. I also loved the lemon poppyseed and just the plain ol' vanilla mixture. I'd love to hear your flavor ideas as well! Jessica (the owner) says you can put pretty much anything in that you might find in ice cream, as long as it won't break down the dairy ingredients.

Asparagus Salad

This "salad" is really not a salad but it sounds better than "asparagus with feta cheese." It's super easy to make and pretty delicious. I found asparagus on sale the other day and bought it on a whim, even though I rarely cook with this vegetable. I looked up some recipes online and, since I also happened to have feta cheese, I went with this one. It was a good choice.

Original recipe here

Asparagus
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Feta Cheese

Chop the asparagus stems in half; mix them in with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 500 single-layer on a pan for 8-12 minutes (it took mine about 15) until they are soft when poked with a fork.

Remove from oven and sprinkle on feta cheese.

Vegetables

Uncle Steve's wife, MaRee is a great cook and had these wonderful veggie recipes that she shared with me. I have tried them all and thought that they were all better than any other way I have had these vegetables. Sorry I didn't take any pictures.


Carrots

6 or 8 large carrots
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lite butter
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
sprinkle of cinnamon

Cut carrots into round pieces and cook until tender.  Drain off all water.
Add honey, lite butter, orange juice, stir until carrots are coated, sprinkle
with cinnamon. 



Fabulous Vegetable

1 package frozen yellow wax beans  or 1 can. ( I have only been able to find canned)
1 package cut green beans frozen, (I use fresh if available )
2 cups of small carrot strips about the size of a bean.
2 onions slivered in long thin slivers 
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms washed and sliced
1 cube butter ( has to be butter)  I have cut this down to half it works but not as
flavorful 
1 tsp accent
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp marjoram
Simmer frozen beans and carrots in 1/2 cube of butter in a small amount of water about 1/4 cup water for 10 to 15 min.  Saute onions an mushrooms in 1/2 cube of butter until slightly cooked 5 to 10 min.  Then add seasoning, add mixtures together without draining don't over cook. serves 8-10   can double recipe.


Green beans with Cherry Tomatoes

1 1/2 pounds green beans trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup butter
 1 tablespoon sugar
 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil  ( I have used dried, but fresh is best )
2 cups cherry tomato halves

Directions
Place beans and water in a large saucepan. Cover, and bring to a boil
Set heat to low, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain off water, and set aside.
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, stir in sugar, garlic salt, pepper and basil,
Add tomatoes, and cook stirring gently just until soft.  Pour the tomato mixture over then toss gently to blend.  I use frozen beans when fresh beans are not available. It will  take longer for them to cook, so cook until tender.  Most of the time I don't add the tomatoes, it is optional and tastes good either way.


Cauliflower

1  medium sized cauliflower
1  8 oz sour cream  ( can use more if you like)
3/4 cup grated cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
Place cauliflower in bowl covered with plastic wrap.  Cook in  microwave about 10 min.  When tender, sprinkle with garlic salt, and seasoning salt.  Cover with sour
cream and cheese.  Put back in microwave just until cheese is melted.   Serves 6 to 8

Ranch Parmesan Chicken Nuggets

I know the picture doesn't look like much, but these little bites of chicken are pretty amazing! Sam said they should be on the menu at a gourmet restaurant. Chicken nuggets. Classy. :) Both of my kids love them and they come together so quickly. They freeze fairly well, so you can make a large batch and warm them up for lunches or whenever you need them. They are slightly less crispy when they have been frozen, but still very palatable. I adapted a recipe given to me by a ward member to come up with these, and they are a staple at our house.

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, cut into pieces as desired

4 Tbsp. butter, melted

3/4 c. Panko

1 Tbsp. ranch seasoning

3/4 c. finely grated parmesan cheese

Mix together Panko, ranch seasoning, and parmesan cheese. Dip chicken pieces in melted butter, wiping away excess (too much butter will make them soggy when they bake). Place butter-coated chicken in Panko, cover with crumbs, and press crumbs into the chicken to help them stick. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Note: If chicken is cold, butter may start to harden as you are dipping, at which point you should re-microwave it to keep it liquid.

Sweet Tooth Fairy Black & White Cupcakes

I had heard about The Sweet Tooth Fairy cupcake shops here and there, but I had never understood the hype until Mom treated me to a cupcake while I was in Utah. And let me tell you, her cupcakes are no ordinary cupcakes! Moist, dense, chewy, with the most amazing frosting slathered on top and incredible flavor combinations...she has changed me from a cupcake-tolerator to a cupcake-lover. I remembered seeing an article about her in BYU Magazine and thought it included a recipe, so I looked it up when I got back from Utah. And here it is!

Oh, and by the way...that frosting is amazing. I was also making Oreo cupcakes for a piano recital a while back and used this frosting with Oreo crumbs folded in--it was the perfect cookies 'n cream frosting.

Don't have a kitchen scale? Here is a calculator for converting.

Black and White Chocolate Cupcakes

8 ounces all-purpose flour

7 ounces granulated sugar

4 ounces dark chocolate cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

4 ounces sour cream

3 eggs, beaten

6 ounces chocolate pudding, prepared

4 ounces butter, melted

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake pan cups with paper liners (or not--I didn't when I made them and they came out beautifully!).

In a large bowl, measure the dry ingredients and mix together with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds until well combined.

Add wet ingredients and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl and resume mixing on medium speed for 1 additional minute. Stop mixer and fold in chocolate chips.

Fill prepared cupcake liners with batter 3/4 full and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cupcakes cool completely.

White Chocolate Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 ounces butter, softened

6 ounces white chocolate, melted

1 tsp. vanilla

10 ounces powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add melted chocolate and vanilla; mix for an additional 1 minute. Add powdered sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy after each addition.

Frost cupcakes with frosting and garnish with sprinkles, fresh raspberries, mini chocolate chips, or whatever else you choose.