Triple Chocolate Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread

I went to Walmart the other morning, which isn't much different than most mornings, and took pictures documenting my time there.  Taking pictures along the way was so much fun and it didn't bother anyone in the least little bit...they all know us by name.  I'll share that in another post.  I ended up buying zucchini, Nestle Semi Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips, Hershey's Chocolate Syrup and more Cocoa.  This is the result of my shopping trip.  Are you thinking a trip is in order, now?

Orange Bran Muffins

My oldest twin loves oranges and anything made with them.  I wanted to make him something special since I have been with his twin, at the hospital, for three days.  We missed each other dearly.  This morning, we sat down and ate our Orange Bran Muffins, just the two of us.  ~smile~

Orange Bran Muffins

1 1/2 cups bran flakes cereal

1 cup buttermilk 

1 egg

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

zest from 1 medium Sunkist Orange, about 2 teaspoons

Simple Orange Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

zest from one medium Sunkist orange

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed Sunkist orange juice or milk

For muffins:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease, Homemade Cake Release, or use paper liners in standard muffin pan.  Add bran flakes to buttermilk and let sit while making batter.  Cream shortening and brown sugar together until fluffy.  Beat in egg.  Sift in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and desired amount of cinnamon.  Add zest of orange and mix until incorporated.  Fold in buttermilk/cereal mixture just until mixed together.  Fill muffin tins 3/4 way full.  Bake in preheated oven 17 to 20 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.  Take out of oven and place on cooling rack. 

For glaze: 

Mix ingredients together.  Dip tops of muffins in glaze or drizzle over tops.  Enjoy! 

Lemon Cake Mix Muffins

Both of the twins have been home the last two days and wanting muffins.   Yesterday, I made Orange Bran Muffins.  This morning it was Lemon Muffins made from a Cake Mix.  I made half just lemon and added blueberries to the rest. Try using different flavors of pudding mix, fruits and nuts, to make your favorite combinations or create something new.  They are easy to make and great to eat.  My older twin didn't even let them cool down before grabbing two and taking huge bites.   Enjoy!

Honey Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

These are easy to fix even for a school day morning.  I made them this morning for my boys and still have plenty of time to do what I always do.  You know,  the things that were supposed to be done last night that were not for some unknown reason.  Kind of like “the dog ate my homework” kind of thing.  Get up and get moving!  Made a special breakfast for you little ones and big ones alike. 

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Canned Fruit Jello

Have you seen the jello made in a can of fruit?  It looked so good and reminded me of my sweet Mama's Green Jello Salad she would make.  You know, the one with nuts, pineapple, cream cheese in lime jello?  Yeah, that one.  I love that!  This is close to it.  Well, not really but the lime and pineapple remind me of it.  Use different fruit and jello combinations.  I'm going to use peaches and ....I don't know, whatever the boys pick out I suppose.  I had to use a large box of jello and it was too much for the can but my boys didn't mind one bit at all.  ~smile~

Cherry Cobbler 2

Made with frozen fruit, this is perfect for last minute desserts, afternoon snack, or late night delight!  Not overly sweet...just right for us.   Feel free to increase the sugar to your taste.

Banana Nut Cake Mix Cookies

Another easy cake mix cookie that tastes like banana nut bread !  You are going to love this one!

Chunky Banana Nut Dark Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Spice Cookies

Yes, you read it right!  These cookies are great!   At least my boys think so.   Dark chocolate, spices, bananas and nuts.  You can add dried fruit, too, if you wish.  With flax seed, wheat germ, wheat and soy flours, and of course oatmeal...what's not to love!   I bet you could even get away with eating these for breakfast, I did!

Cara Cara Orange Coffee Cake

If you have never tried Cara Cara Orange Coffee Cake, or any orange coffee cake for that matter, you need to!  It really is amazing!  Hubby thinks so, too.  I cut a piece to take a picture later, put it aside and went about cleaning the mess I made in the kitchen.  I am a messy one!  When the kitchen was clean,  I went to take the picture of my perfect little piece of Cara Cara Orange Coffee Cake and it was gone!  Geez, I thought after hubby ate three pieces, this piece would be safe.  No!  He ate it!  Hence, the photo below is not the perfect piece I wanted to take a picture of.  I had to take a picture in a hurry and hope for the best.  This is it in all its glory.  From now on, if I want to take a picture of something I'll snap away or I'll hide it!  Enjoy!

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Frozen Dark Chocolate Banana Slices

These are great for after school snacks or a cool treat after a day outside.  Yeah, it's warm in Florida at the end of January!  A delightful bite of creamy, frozen banana, deep dark chocolate and your favorite topping.

Frozen Dark Chocolate Banana Slices

For One Banana

banana, sliced

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, I use Hershey's Special Dark

1 teaspoon coconut oil or solid shortening

favorite toppings, optional

Put dark chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small microwave proof bowl.  In microwave, 1100 watt, heat on high for 30 seconds..stir until melted.  If needed, heat it another 10 seconds at 5 seconds intervals so you don't overheat the chocolate.  

Put a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet or platter that is freezer proof.  

Dip sliced banana in melted dark chocolate.  

Tap the fork on the edge to remove excess chocolate.  Place on a piece of parchment paper. Top with your favor toppings, if desired.  Put in freezer until frozen solid.  My boys were eating them after 30 minutes.  

The chocolate was hardened but the banana wasn't completely frozen.

It took them outside to take a picture and my mini horse wanted to visit. ~smile~

Southern Brownies

Boiled Peanut Brownies

1 cup boiled peanuts, shelled, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup plain yogurt

2   1 oz squares unsweetened chocolate

3 Tablespoons canola oil

1 cup Sugar in the Raw, or sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease 9 x 9 pan.  Shell boiled peanuts, rinse, rinse, rinse and rinse again, if needed, to remove some of the salt.  Drain.  Put drained peanuts in a bowl, add yogurt and puree with a immersion blender.  Or, put in a food processor to puree.  Set aside.  Heat squares of chocolate with canola oil, in the microwave..about 40 seconds.  Stir to melt completely.  Add sugar in the raw.  When at room temperature, add eggs and beat with a mixer until blended.  Sift into bowl; cocoa baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Beat until incorporated.  Add pureed peanuts and vanilla and mix well.  Pour in pan and smooth top.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes until wooden tester comes out clean.  Enjoy!  

DIY Homemade Granola

Don't you just love granola?  It goes on everything or can be eaten by the fistful by itself.  So easy  (I'm lovin' all the easy things to make!) and affordable, too!  You can add anything in it and it will always be just right.  Start with old fashion rolled oats, add nuts, seeds, dried fruit, pretzels. cereal, chocolate, butterscotch or cinnamon chips and there ya go.  Ta Da!   The makings of your own granola.  This make 1 1/2 to 2 cups.  You may want to make more. ~smile~  I'm making more tomorrow and will update.

DIY Homemade Granola

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 tablespoons oil

5 tablespoons homemade maple syrup

1/2 cup broken pretzels, optional, I didn't have nuts so I used them first...very good!

OR, 1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/4 cup seeds

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cumin

whatever you want to add

Preheat oven to 375

Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix oil, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and cumin together in bowl.

Add oats, nuts, seeds, and pretzels.  Toss gently to cover all with syrup mixture.

Spread and separate on baking sheet.

Cook for 7- 10 minutes, until light brown, stirring every couple of minutes. Watch carefully, it can burn in no time at all.

Cool completely and store in sealed container or plastic bag.

Pumpkin Spice Bran Muffins

Another muffin recipe for you to enjoy.  Muffins are so easy to make and eat.  This one if full of bran, pumpkin, spice and the dark chocolate chips I added.   Eaten as a snack or breakfast is alright with me.  Enjoy!

Red Velvet Crinkles

If you love to make cookies that are very easy, soft and delicious, not to mention look wonderful. This recipe is for you. They are perfect when unexpected company arrives and you need to bake something in a hurry. Let's not forget the holidays will soon be upon us These are very impressive to look at as well as eat. A cake mix and a few ingredients is all it takes to have them coming back for more. Cake mixes definitely need to be a staple in the pantry for these yummy delights.  These can also be viewed on here.

Candy Cake Bites

Candy Cake Bites

I wanted to make something special for the twins classes for Valentine's Day and decided to make these cute little candy cake bites!  They are easy to make and fun to eat!  Just the perfect size for little hands.  <3

You'll need a cake cooked, cooled and crumbled.  I used the rainbow cup cakes and mini cakes I made the boys.  You can also use prepackaged snack cakes, the ones with filling inside.  I did red velvet balls the other day that way.  

If you have leftover cake and don't want to finish eating it, make cake balls out of it, put in a freezer bag and pop in the freezer!  <3

frosting, can, homemade or in a spray can

mini muffin pan

liners, the white ones to throw away and decorative ones to put the finished candy cake bite in. 

almond bark

candy melts or chocolate chips

wax paper

I'm showing blue cake below but I thought this was pretty.  It naturally went into a heart shape.  <3

This was a cupcake, I just added a little icing.  I had the kind in a squirt can and just squirted a little in.  If you are using a whole cake, start with 1/2 can frosting and add more, if needed, to get the cake crumbles to stick together.

 You want the crumbles to come together to form a ball.  Place on waxed paper as you make them. 

 Melt almond bark.  Put mini wrappers, you'll throw these away, in a mini muffin pan.

Immediately top with the bake balls you just made.

Place in freezer until set.

 While they are in the freezer, melt your top coating of candy and have your toppings ready.  Might as well call the kids, you know how they love to decorate!!  I used Wilton's candy melts.  You can use another color of almond bark, if you wish.

Remove from freezer and unwrap.  Let it sit for just a couple of minutes.  

 Grab the bottom and dip the cake ball in the melted candy to just cover the top of the bottom piece of candy.  

 Immediately decorate. <3 

Aren't they cute?  <3 and Hugs! 

Buffalo Chicken Bites

Here you go!!!  Something totally different, buffalo chicken with celery and ranch all rolled up into one amazing bite!  You will definitely want to double this!

Turtles...The Easy Way

YUM!!!  The boys and I have so much fun especially during the holidays!  Making and baking are one of our favorite things to do.  This is such a simple, yet delicious and fun treat!  (sorry about the photos..I can't crop them for some reason)

Turtles..The Easy Way

Square pretzels

Rolos 

Pecans or whatever nuts you have available.  Whole, half or pieces..it doesn't matter!

Place pretzels on a cookie sheet

Top with rolos

Heat in a preheated 350 degree oven for 2-4 minutes.

Take out of oven as soon as candy can be pushed down.  Check after one minute and then keep a close tab on them.

As always, my oven cooks different than yours..adjust times accordingly!

Notice the rounded cheeks...They ate most of the rolos!  <3 and hUGs!

Sausage Cheese Balls

If you have ever been in the south during the winter holidays, I know you have eaten these!  We always called them just "Sausage Balls"  but there is a lot of cheese in them so...Sausage Cheese Balls they are!  I can remember these from way back when.  Seems there were always on the table of snacks when there were get togethers at Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.  I don't know why they were never fixed in the warmer months of the year.  Something I will have to find out!  Easy to make, Yummy to Eat!   ~smiles~

Sausage Cheese Balls

I made 49 from this recipe.  Mine aren't always the same size for some reason. 

3 cups biscuit mix

1 lb bulk sausage

1-2 lb cheddar cheese 3-4 cups shredded..I used cut up chunks I had and got 3 cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spray cookie sheets (2)

Toss everything with a fork,  

Mix with hands.  

Shape into walnut size balls. Bake on greased cookie sheets (2) for 15-20 minutes @ 350 degrees.  

 Halfway through,  lift sausage balls up with spatula so they won't stick and turn pan around.  As always, My oven cooks different than yours.  Please adjust time accordingly.

  

Place a paper towels to absorb grease from the bottom.  Remove from paper towels, place on serving plate and serve with spicy or honey mustard.