Recipe Review - Peanut Butter-cream Frosting

Maybe I've watched Cupcake Wars too many times or maybe I just wanted  to make something other than the ordinary, but the stars have aligned and I am making these cupcakes! This month, I'll be making not just one batch, but several as there are multiple events that seem to just call for cupcakes. Today will be the first batch. The excuse occasion is my girlfriend's birthday. I found a fabulous site called Brown Eyed Baker, and I am stalking her a bit now, especially for the buttercream. This recipe I tried out was for dark chocolate cupcakes, but it's the peanut butter frosting that has me sold!

Peanut Butter Frosting 

Ingredients - 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 5 Tbsp unsalted butter (room temp), 3/4 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Mix all the ingredients except the heavy cream on medium-low speed until creamy. Add the heavy cream and beat on high until the mixture is light and smooth. Pipe onto cupcakes and enjoy!

And the review? Well, let me just say that the peanut butter frosting is divine. I could eat that on just about anything, including a spoon! YUM! Dang near anything that has that frosting on it could become the perfect vessel!

Recipe Review - Quick Caprese Pizza

So, I went to a Pampered Chef party with a friend of mine and thanks to her, won a few great gifts, one of which was a small cookbook called Quick Vegetarian Main Dishes. I immediately gravitated towards a simple tomato, basil, garlic, oil, and mozzarella pizza. Really now, who could resist such a combination! It was so simple. More importantly, it was so delicious! I've actually made it twice in the last week and a half. My recipe is adapted a bit from the original, but no need too stray far from a no brainer like this. Yum!

Quick Caprese Pizza 

Ingredients for the crust - 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil, 1 pressed garlic clove, 1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese, 1 - 13.8oz refrigerated pizza crust

Ingredients for the toppings - 3 medium tomatoes, 1 tsp salt, 2 Tbsp fresh (or 1 tsp dried) chopped basil, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced, black pepper

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice tomatoes and lay on paper towel lined cutting board or tray. Sprinkle both sides with salt and let stand 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, brush pan with 1 tsp oil. Unroll dough and cut into thirds or fourths. Mix 1 Tbsp oil with garlic and brush over all the dough. Sprinkle Parmesan over the dough. Bake the dough 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.

Blot tomatoes with paper towels. Arrange tomato and cheese slices alternating and overlapping on the crusts. Mix basil with 1 Tbsp olive oil and brush over pizza toppings. Return to oven and bake another 4-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with black pepper and enjoy!

Lunch - Able

Nothing is easier than a 'lunchable' style lunch. Simple and fast for mom, and yummy for kiddo. Bonus!

This lunch is turkey bologna, American cheese, cucumber, watermelon, Kit Kat, and crackers w/ butter.

In this lunch...

ABC Lunch

Since I missed letter A and B to do specific letter lunches, I figured I just wrap up with an ABC lunch today. Enjoy.

Apple, avocado, bananas with a bow pick, blueberry bagel with butter, cucumber, cheese, and chicken!

In this lunch...

Recipe Review - Butter Bars

Here's another recipe that we all enjoy, so thought I'd share. These bars are delicious straight out of the oven hot and ooey gooey, but they are equally delicious at room temperature or chilled. I know you can make these bars with a chocolate cake mix instead of yellow, but I've yet to try that version.

Ultimate Butter Bars 

Ingredients - 1 box yellow cake mix, 1 stick butter, 3 eggs, 8oz cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups powdered sugar (plus more for dusting)

Beat room temperature butter. Add 1 egg and cake mix. Combine until all mixed and stuck together. Press this mixture into a 9x13 glass pan.

Beat room temperature cream cheese. Add the other 2 eggs, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Mix. Pour this on top of the cake mix layer in the pan.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 - 35 minutes. The center won't look set, but it's done! It's supposed to be gooey! Just sprinkle with powdered sugar while it is still hot, and you're ready to enjoy. Refridgerate leftovers if you have any! 

Lions.. Raarrr!

Of course this didn't turn out quite how I had envisioned, but cute nonetheless and was a hit with the kiddo, so that's what counts in the end!

This plated lunch has an American cheese and fruit leather lion head with macaroni & cheese mane, salami, cucumber, red bell pepper, ranch in the container, and graham cracker bones.

In this lunch...

The Letter C And 'C' Lunch

Today, we talked about the letter 'C' and this time I actually got a 'C' Bento lunch together too. This one was easy because we have so many 'C' foods already in the house. And there are so many more we thought of that we didn't have on hand. Maybe to make up for not doing an 'A' or 'B' lunch, I'll do an ABC one to wrap up these three letters. That should be fun too. In the meantime, here is our 'C' lunch for today and the worksheets to go with it!

The 'C' lunch as crackers, American cheese, smoked chicken, carrots, cucumbers, cashews, dried cranberries, car shaped egg, fruit leather 'c's, and a piece of candy!

 

Would love to hear from anyone that homeschools or follows certain curriculum for preschool age or younger. Our little one is just barely three, but I struggle to not repeat activities and to keep her engaged and interested, yet challenged. With 'C', we also did a crayon sorting activity and this week we'll be doing specific activities with clouds, so we can talk about the letter 'c' and about weather. Works because we also have a weather station that we use for the weather each day. I'll have to post a picture of that as well. It's pretty neat. Anyways, ideas are always welcome!

In this lunch...