Shredded Beef Burritos

So the roast you made for french dip sandwiches the other night made up a lot more meat than you thought. Have no fear! This recipe is a perfect way to use up that leftover beef. Or if you used all your meat with the sandwiches and are looking for a good shredded beef burrito recipe, this is the one for you! This recipe comes from allrecipes.com and I've done a little tweaking. I will let you know what the tweaks are when I get to them! (Thanks to tripadvisor.com for the picture!) Here's what you'll need:

• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil


• 1 onion, chopped (optional - I didn't use this. Not big white onion fans here!)


• 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/8 tsp garlic powder)


• 4 tomatoes, chopped (We're talking small to medium-sized tomatoes, not big massive ones or you'll have tomatoes coming out your ears.)


• 2 c. shredded cooked roast beef


• 1 (8 oz) jar taco sauce (I bought the Taco Bell brand at Walmart.)


• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chili peppers


• 1/2 tsp cumin


• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)


• 6 flour tortillas, warmed


• 1 1/2 c. shredded Mexican blend cheese (The original recipe called for Cheddar, but I like the taste of the mixed Mexican blend cheese you can find in the bag.)


• 2 c. shredded lettuce

Keep in mind the "optional" items are pretty much the items I didn't use. You can go without whatever veggies you don't want. On that note, the green chilies really make the flavor so try really hard to put those in!

What to do:

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes or until everything is transparent. Then mix in the tomatoes. (PS If you're not using the onion and using garlic powder instead of clove, heat up the oil then just add the tomatoes.) Then add the roast beef, taco sauce, green chilies, cumin, and red pepper flakes.


2. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer uncovered until thickened. (The recipe says to let it simmer for 25 minutes but mine only needed to simmer for about 5 minutes. Huge difference! Just let it all thicken up a bit and you'll be fine.) Add about half the cheese and mix together. (This wasn't in the recipe but I did this and it was rockin'.)


3. Put the tortillas in the microwave one at a time for about 10 seconds. Fill each one with about 2/3 c. of the mixture. If you would like them just as these are, sprinkle a little more cheese in it and add lettuce and sour cream. Roll it up and enjoy. OR after you put the mixture in the tortilla pinch in the sides, roll it up like a burrito, and put it in a glass baking dish. Do this for all the tortillas. Then pour the leftover mixture over the top of the burritos and put them in the oven covered with foil for 15 minutes on 350 degrees. Take them out of the oven and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over them. Allow the cheese to melt before serving. (This was the way I made them. They were SO good!)

French Dip Sandwiches

French dip sandwiches are one of those things that I love to make for dinner because they're so easy, yet so delicious. For some families out there everyone's busy schedules sometimes make it difficult to get dinner cooked and ready. But thanks to that lovely invention called "crock pot" we can have multiple delicious meals on the table without all the hassle. Including french dip sandwiches! PS I did not take this picture. My picture turned out horribly! I don't put onions in my sandwich though, I just liked the picture. This picture comes from Gail Wright at Home. Thanks, Gail! Here's all you'll need for what Tyson and I do:

• 1 boneless beef roast (about 4 lb-ish)



• 2 packets Au jus gravy mix (found with the rest of the gravy packets at Albertson's-I have NO idea where to find this stuff at Walmart!)



• deli buns, french bread, sandwich rolls, or any kind of bread you like for french dips



• Swiss cheese slices (optional)

What to do:

1. Place your frozen or thawed roast in the crock pot. Mix one packet of Au jus with 2 cups of water (or however much water that specific brand tells you to mix) and pour it in the crock pot with your roast. Set it on low and let it go for 6 1/2 hours. Then turn the crock pot up to high for about an hour or so more. The meat will be so tender and literally crumble apart. Mmmm!



2. Prepare the second packet of Au jus on the stove top for dipping. After taking the roast out of the crock pot, slice it up and put the desired amount of meat on each bun. Then put a couple slices of cheese on the sandwich, if you want cheese. Pour about half a cup or whatever amount you want of prepared Au jus in ramekins or small bowls. Dip the sandwich into the Au jus and enjoy!

So that french dip sandwich sounds a little boring to you, eh? Need something a little more exciting, eh? I'm all about the boring recipe. But here's another recipe with a little more to it. It comes from myrecipes.com:

Ingredients

• 1 beef roast (about 4 pounds), fat trimmed



• 1/2 c. soy sauce



• 1 beef bouillon cube



• 1 bay leaf



• 3 to 4 peppercorns



• 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed



• 1 tsp dried thyme



• 1 tsp garlic powder



• 12 french sandwich rolls, split

Directions

1. Place the roast in the crock pot. Combine the soy sauce and the next 6 ingredients; pour that mixture over the roast. Add water to the crock pot till the roast is almost covered but not quite.



2. Cook covered on low for 7 hours or until very tender. Remove the roast, reserving the broth; shred the roast with a fork. Place roast in rolls and serve with reserved broth for dipping.

Friday Friendzy: Glazed Doughnuts

Today is the start of a new segment called "Friday Friendzy". I've received questions via e-mail about certain recipes and also suggested recipes I should try and share. So I decided to turn the sharing part into a segment for Fridays. My friend Jarae of probably 20 years sent me an e-mail asking if I have a good doughnut recipe. And indeed I do! Doughnuts are one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. As unfriendly they are to the waistline, they sure are tasty every once and awhile. And they're so fun to make with your family.

This recipe comes from allrecipes.com, and my friend Ashlee shared it on her family blog a year or so ago. Great find, Ash!

What You'll Need:

• 2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
• 1/4 c. warm water
• 1 1/2 c. lukewarm milk
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 c. shortening
• 5 c. flour
• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
• 1/3 c. butter
• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 4 Tbsp hot water

What to Do:

1. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy.
2. In a large bowl or KitchenAid bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix for a few minutes on low speed with your KitchenAid or electric hand mixer, or you can mix with a wooden spoon. Mix in remaining flour a 1/2 cup at a time until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place dough into a greased bowl and cover. Set in a warm place to rise until double in size. The dough is ready if you touch it and the indention stays there.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently roll out until 1/2 inch in thickness. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter. (If you don't have a doughnut cutter you can use a biscuit cutter to cut the doughnut then the lid of your vegetable oil bottle to make the hole.) Let the cut doughnuts sit out until they rise to double size. Cover loosely with a cloth.
4. Now it's time to make the glaze. In a sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in hot water one tablespoon at a time until the icing is somewhat thin, but not watery. Set aside.
5. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or large skillet to 350 degrees. (Don't have a thermometer to test the temp? If the oil is steadily bubbling it is ready. Another trick is to put the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil and if the bubbles start to climb it your oil is ready.) Slide the doughnuts into the oil with a wide spatula. Turn doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry doughnuts on each side until golden brown. Remove from hot oil and drain on a wire rack. Dip the doughnuts into the glaze while still hot; set on wire rack to drain off the excess. Keep a cookie sheet or tray under the rack for easier clean up.

Mint and Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Yes, you read that right. Another treat full of minty and chocolatey goodness.

But first, remember way back when I posted about White Chocolate Crispies? And remember when I said they would be so awesome with some m&m's mixed in there and someone should try it and tell me what they thought?

Well last weekend I totally made these and totally put Easter m&m's in them. And they were, may I say, the bomb.com.

Not only were they bright and festive, the milk chocolate added the extra bit of deliciousness that you can only understand by making them. My sisters, mom, and grandma loved them on our girls weekend, and I know you will too! Just mix a medium bag of any kind of m&m at the end of mixing all the other ingredients together and you've got yourself an even more delicious treat.

Mint chocolate is one of my favorite combinations ever invented. My favorite ice cream so happens to be mint chocolate chip. Recently I brought you a fabulous recipe for Mint Brownies. Today I bring...ta daaaa...mint chocolate chip cupcakes. This is Cupcake Diaries, right? We must have a cupcake recipe regularly featured. And this one will not disappoint.

This recipe comes from Jamie Cooks it Up and has quickly become a new favorite. My mom, twin sister, and I made these cupcakes for a family home evening with our extended family on my mom's side. We had a great evening with a tasty dessert that had many chatting.

What you'll need:

Cupcakes -

• 1 devils food cake mix
• 1/3 c. flour
• 1 small package instant chocolate pudding
• 1/3 c. sour cream
• 1 1/2 c. water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 c. oil
• 1 c. mini chocolate chips
  

Frosting -

• 1 - 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
• 4 Tbsp butter, softened
• 5 c. powdered sugar
• 2-3 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp mint extract
• dash of salt
• green food coloring
• mini chocolate chips for decoration

Directions

Cupcakes

1. With your paddle attachment on your KitchenAid (or in a mixing bowl) combine cake mix, flour, and pudding mix. Mix it will with a spoon or with your mixer.
2. Add the sour cream, water, vanilla, eggs, and oil. Mix it on low for 1 minute. Be sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl to get all the dry ingredients incorporated. Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes.
3. Add mini chocolate chips and stir. Don't use your mixer attachment or the chocolate chips could break up.
4. Line your muffin tin with liners. Fill each cup 2/3 of the way full. Don't do too much or the cupcakes will over flow and end up looking like flat mushrooms.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after being inserted into the middle of a cupcake.
6. Remove from the oven and allow them to sit in the pan for about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely. If you frost them too soon it will melt. And that will be really sad. I recommend baking the cupcakes the day before you need them and frosting them the next day. They will be nice and cool. Make sure they're not still warm when you cover them though or the tops will get sticky.

Frosting

1. Wash out that KitchenAid and paddle attachment so you can use them for the frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. If you forget to take the butter out to soften and end up having to throw it in the microwave, make sure you don't melt it at all or it will be too hot and melt the frosting. Also a sad thing. Heat in 10 second intervals and check it.
2. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp milk; continue to mix.
3. Add the mint extract and dash of salt.
4. Continue to add the powdered sugar and milk till you have the consistency you want. More powdered sugar will make it thicker, milk will thin it out.
5. Once you have the consistency you want, add the food coloring and beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes. The frosting will become nice and glossy and it's really pretty!
6. Spoon your frosting into a decorating bag or a large plastic bag. Apply a tip like a 1M star tip to your decorating bag for that fun textured look. Or cut the end of the plastic bag about an inch and pipe on for a ripple look. (*I'm pretty sure we heated the butter for too long with our frosting and we wanted the textured look with the 1M. But it wasn't thick enough and it kind of fell down. We ending up liking the result though. If you want it to look like ours above don't make the frosting thick. Allow it to be a little thinner.*) Pipe the frosting on and top with mini chocolate chips. You will want to put the chocolate chips on right after the cupcake gets frosted or they might not stick. Enjoy!

Easter Dinner: Classic Apple-Maple Glazed Ham

Easter is coming up in a month, so it seems like a good time to start some tasty and easy Easter ideas! Yes, key word "easy." I've always been a little scared of making a ham. But this ham is simple and delish, and it is the first of four different easy glazed ham ideas for your Easter meal. And there may even be a good idea for a next-day sandwich to make with your leftovers one of these days! Fun stuff. I love Easter! (Big thanks to Food Network for the recipe!)

What You'll Need:

• 1 fully cooked smoked ham (butt or shank half 9 to 10 lb)
• 2 Tbs whole cloves (optional)
• 1 1/2 c. glaze

Ingredients for the Glaze:

• 2 c. apple cider
• 1/2 c. apple jelly
• 1/2 c. maple syrup
• 1/4 c. whole-grain mustard
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

First, make the glaze:

1. Boil the apple cider in a saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 8 to 10 minutes). Reduce the heat to low and add the jelly, maple syrup, mustard, allspice, and nutmeg. That's it! Easy glaze, I'd say.

Now let's make the ham:

1. Remove the ham from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Trim off any skin from the ham. Use a sharp paring knife to cut through the fat, or "score" in a diagonal crosshatch pattern without cutting through the meat. (It will end up looking like a bunch of tic-tac-toe boards.) But be careful not to cut through the meat!
3. If you're using cloves, insert them into the ham, placing them at the intersections of the cuts. Put the ham flat-side down on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour 1/4 inch of water into the bottom of the pan. Put the pan in the oven and roast for about 2 1/2 hours (or 15 minutes per pound, depending on how big the ham is) or until it reaches 130 degrees with a thermometer inserted.
4. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Pour half of the glaze over the ham and brush to coat. If the water in the bottom of the pan has evaporated, add more. Return the ham to the oven and roast, basting every 10 minutes with the remaining glaze, until glossy and well browned (about 45 more minutes).

Tips on Finding the Right Ham:

• Get a bone-in ham; it will have more flavor and better texture than a boneless one.
• A half ham is all you need, unless you're cooking for 30. The shank half is easier to carve, but the butt half has more usable meat.
• Avoid ham with more than 10% added water. It should be labeled just "ham" or "ham with natural juices."
• Make sure it's smoked and fully cooked, though you'll still need to heat it through before serving.

College Cooking: Texas Chicken Quesadillas

I don't know about you, but when I was in college my roommates and I ate quesadillas like they were going out of style. A lot of meals were centered around those triangles of yumminess. Of course when we were in school we pretty much just put cheese in them, fried 'em up in a pan, and dunked 'em in salsa. So quesadilla-eating college students, this one's for you! Your roommates will be totally impressed when you give the quesadillas in your apartment a makeover. This is also good for a family dinner a well! Big thanks to allrecipes.com! Image via southernliving.com

Here's what you'll need:

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• 1 onion, sliced into rings
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into strips
• 1/2 c. barbecue sauce
• 1/2 c. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 8 (10 inch) flour tortillas

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Throw in the onion slices and stir till they're cooked and translucent. Mix in the honey and stir about 5 more minutes till the onion is golden brown. Remove the onion from the skillet and set aside.
2. Place the remaining oil and chicken in the skillet over over medium high heat like before. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Stir in the barbecue sauce and evenly coat the chicken.
3. Layer 4 tortillas with chicken onions, some Cheddar cheese, and some Montery Jack cheese. Top each tortilla with another tortilla.
4. Place two of the quesadillas on a cookie sheet side by side. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Be careful not too get the tortillas too crisp (unless you like them crispy-then that's ok!) Remove from the oven and cut into quarters to serve. These are really yummy with guacamole, sour cream, and/or salsa!

Nutrion Info: (Don't worry, no "Freshman 15" happening with this meal!)

Amount Per Serving (1 quesadilla): Calories - 411 / Fat - 14.3g / Cholestorol: 48mg

Giveaway Winners and Something for the Kids Today

Thank you to all who entered the Target gift card giveaway!

I went in there yesterday and my oh my was there a lot of Easter candy looking me straight in the eye. Tempting. Dangerously tempting.

And the winners of the giveaway are...(chosen by random.org - drum roll, please...)

#9- marissa89

#22- Photography by Wendy

Congratulations, ladies!

{Marissa, please e-mail me at cupcakediaries1(at)hotmail(dot)com with your mailing address}

{Wendy, I'll get yours to you!}

Happy St. Patrick's Day, by the way! It seems I've waited till the last minute to share a few fun ideas for the kiddies on this day o' green. At my house holidays tend to get celebrated the entire month. Time to get our craft on! Whether you make one or more of these up to surprise the kids for later or let them make something themselves, they're sure to be happy with these fun St. Patty's Day crafts!

***

The first comes from Beth Proudfoot. It is a really easy and fun favor for St. Patrick's Day. All you need are a few long cellophane bags, rainbow twizzlers, and chocolate coins. You can download the custom 3" tag here.




Next is another cute little treat for the kids. This idea comes from Eighteen25. Everybody loves Lucky Charms. Especially the kids! Here is a cute way to share them. All you need is snack sized ziplock baggies, 5x7 pieces of card stock, and the topper. You can download it here. The girls at Eighteen25 have detailed instructions on what to do so click away on their name above!



For the first time I recently learned about leprechaun traps. They are the cutest thing! And I love how many different styles there are. I talk about them like they're a pair of shoes. The Crafting Chicks bring us this darling little leprechaun trap that doesn't require a ton of supplies. It is a pirouette cookie can covered in scrapbook paper. They've made a little paper ladder to go up the side of this Gold Vault with a Keep Off sign that the leprechaun will most likely ignore. And there's no way for him to get out!




This last one comes from Lizard & Ladybug and is similar to the other Lucky Charm baggies. This one is a little different from the first but equally cute! You can download the tags here.

I must mention as well that The Crafting Chicks have also come up with the CUTEST little treasure hunt ever. It is called Leprechaun Treasure Hunt where you follow the colors of the rainbow. The first shamrock is rainbow colored and gives a clue to the next shamrock of a certain color. It goes for a few different colors till it guides the kids to the treasure. So cute!!! Must check it out here.

Shamrock Toffee Fudge

First of all, thanks to those who have entered the Target gift card giveaway! If you'd still like to enter today is the last day. A winner will be drawn tomorrow morning.

Speaking of the giveaway, some have mentioned that if you win one of the gift cards you will most likely get new sandals or spring clothes. Well why not both?

...

Target has some fun spring stuff right now. Check out this cute tee:

And these sandals have got it goin' on:

Did I mention that if you win you could get BOTH of these items with that one gift card? Talk about a great price! I love Target.

Now onto today's recipe. I feel bad because I've totally dropped the ball this year. St. Patrick's day is tomorrow and I've hardly done a thing for it. This is only my second recipe for this holiday and I totally had more in mind. And I even come from an Irish family! Wow. It just came too fast this year. At least we get one more recipe before the holiday happens. Actually the only thing about these that makes them a St. Patty's day treat is the little shamrock on top. So really they're just a piece of fudge with a frosting shamrock. I'm sorry, ancestors! I'll do better next year. This fudge is the bomb though. Really this recipe was just an excuse to make some fudge. The toffee adds a nice crunch to such a creamy fudge. It comes from Taste of Home and it is tasty! (Thanks for the photo, Taste of Home!)

Ingredients (makes about 60 pieces)

• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 c. white chocolate chips
• 1 c. milk chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp butter
• dash of salt
• 3/4 c. chocolate-covered toffee bits (You can buy these in a bag in the baking section, or you can buy a candy bar and chop it up.)
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 c. vanilla frosting (for shamrocks)
• green food coloring

Directions

1. Line a 9-inch square pan with foil and grease the foil; set aside. In a large saucepan combine milk and chips. Cook and stir over low heat until chips are melted. Add the butter and salt; stir until smooth.
2. Remove from heat then stir in the toffee bits and extract. Pour into the prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours until firm.
3. Remove the fudge from the pan by using the foil; carefully remove the foil. Cut the fudge in 1-inch squares. Place the frosting in a small resealable plastic bag after you have tinted it with food coloring. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag; pipe a shamrock onto each piece of fudge.

Black Raspberry Vanilla Smoothie and a Giveaway!

I am SO ready for spring to be here! Here in southeast Idaho we have been teased and teased with cold weather then nice weather, over and over again. Yesterday it was really nice outside. And just when I thought it was getting nicer we have a bleak day like today. At least it's not snowing though! I'll take it.

All of this talk of spring coming makes me want a spring and summer treat. That's why today's recipe is for a fresh fruit smoothie. Yum! This recipe comes from Food Network and it is delicious. Smoothies are a great way to get your fruit for the day and fill your tummy for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

All you need for this smoothie:

• 1 pint blackberries
• 1/2 c. raspberries
• 1 c. vanilla yogurt
• 1 Tbsp honey

Blend everything together in your blender till nice and smooth.

Tip: Peel, slice, and freeze fruit before it goes bad and save it for smoothies. Bonus: Your drink will be extra thick.

Now onto today's giveaway...

This giveaway is now closed.

Thanks to all who entered!

Spring is coming which means time to buy cleaning products for spring cleaning, find a new spring shirt, stock up on Easter candy, etc. Today's giveaway will help two of you accomplish one of these spring essentials with a

$25 Target gift card

To enter:

1) Become a follower of Cupcake Diaries

and

2) Leave a comment about what you would buy with your Target gift card if you won.

The winners will be chosen with random.org on St. Patrick's Day (March 17th).

Feeling lucky? :)

Barilla Spaghetti Rancetto

Friday's recipe is coming a little early this week. I'm heading up north in the morning with my sisters, mom, and grandma for a girls night in Ashton, Idaho. Nothing like a couple of days of hanging out with some of my besties at a cabin on Fall River. We're all in need of a bit of r and r. But I'm not going to leave you for the weekend without setting you up with an idea for dinner this weekend!

I love getting my issue of Food Network Magazine every month. March's issue was all about Italian food and I found a whole bunch of delicious dinner ideas, one of which comes from Barilla pasta brand. We made this not knowing what it would taste like. And it truly was a winner! It ended up being relatively light, and to me it tasted like the pasta served with the chicken scaloppini at Carino's but not so saucy. I guess you could say it's a little bit of a copy cat recipe with how similar they are in taste. This recipe will feed the family as an entree. We amade chicken cordon bleu for dinner the other night and also made this pasta in side portions to go with it. It was pretty tasty!

Ingredients

• 1 box Barilla spaghetti
• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lb (about 2 c.) pancetta, diced (We couldn't find pancetta so we just used turkey bacon.)
• 1 lb. fresh ripe plum tomatoes, roughly chopped (I bought grape tomatoes and sliced them in half.)
• 1 c. grated Pecorino cheese (Can't find Pecorino in your grocery store? The Italian blend of cheese works great!)
• 2 Tbsp fresh marjoram, chopped (If you can't find fresh marjoram you can buy the marjoram powder or use dried marjoram - 2 tsp)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. While the pasta is cooking, put the olive oil in a medium skillet and turn the heat to medium. Add the pancetta (or bacon) and cook for about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 5 minutes. If using powdered marjoram add it at this point and stir everything together and let it continue to simmer.
3. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Stir in the cheese and dried or fresh marjoram before serving.

And that's it! Keep in mind you can make this dish lighter by using wheat pasta and turkey bacon.

**There will be a giveaway next week so stay tuned!**

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Recently I threw a baby shower for a friend.

I wanted to make a yellow cupcake with pink frosting to match the decor.

I bought some frozen strawberries, pulled out the butter and powdered sugar, and came up with this little number. It was so yummy!

This is not a decorating frosting. If you try to pipe on something cute it will fall flat. I sprinkled a few yellow candy pearls on top and I love how they turned out.

Good luck getting the cupcakes frosted! This stuff is finger-lickin' good.

PS I just made a box cake mix for the cupcakes. I made a white cake mix and turned it yellow with some food coloring. (Why didn't you just buy a yellow cake mix, you ask? I have no idea.)

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, slightly cold and firm
• 3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Directions

Puree the half cup of thawed strawberries in your food processor or blender till pureed. This can take a few minutes. In your KitchenAid fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter and salt on medium till fluffy. Reduce the speed and add the sugar a little at a time. Beat really well until everything is combined. Add the vanilla and 4 tablespoons of strawberry puree. Mix until everything is just blended.

Crock Pot Turkey Breast

The crockpot is the quickest and easiest way I've ever cooked a turkey breast. This recipe is especially good. With only two ingredients, the only hard part is waiting for it to be done cooking!

Ingredients

• 1 (4-6 pound) bone-in turkey breast
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix

Directions

1. Thaw the turkey and pat it dry. If it has a gravy packet inside of it, remove it. Cut off any excess skin, but leave the skin covering the breast.
2. Rub the onion soup mix all over the outside of the turkey and under the skin. Place it in your crockpot and add water till filled about an inch high. The water will help it from getting dry and will make it super moist.
3. Put the lid on and cook on low for 6 1/2 hours. When it is finished it will look like this:

Doesn't that look good? The meat falls right off the bone. We had a tough time getting it out of the crockpot because the meat was falling off. Yum!

Some of you may be worried about the fact that there are onions in this recipe but you have onion haters at home. No worries! The soup really just adds flavor to the turkey and the pieces of onion soften up and fall right off the turkey if you need it to. Also, a lot of the onion stays on the skin, which most people don't like to eat because it gets so soft.

We like to make a turkey breast in the crockpot every now and then and the leftovers can be used for so many things! Sandwiches, chicken potpie, chicken and noodle casserole (but with turkey instead), etc. Lots of ways to use it! And turkey has a lot of protein and is really good for you. So into the Lighten Up category it goes! For dinner we served it with sweet peas. Very light and refreshing:

Ding Dong Ditching

I agree with Poppies at Play that an essential part of growing up is learning to Ding Dong Ditch.

.

It's time to change the tradition and get the parents involved...

All you need is a box of Ding Dongs and a few cute tags. You can make them yourself or get a few of these tags here. These are so fun!

.

It's time to make a difference in the lives of our children, and maybe even spice up family night a bit!

Liege Waffles

My friend Leslie LOVES Bobby Flay. Whenever she is on vacation somewhere she figures out if he has a restaurant in that location and she has to eat there. For example, Mesa Grill at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. She's been there, done that! So this recipe is from Iron Chef Flay and is posted to honor Leslie's love for him and all of his amazingness.

The Liege waffle comes from...tadaaaa - the city of Liege in Belgium. Liege waffles are similar to Belgian waffles but sweeter. The trick is using vanilla sugar. A lot of people make their own vanilla sugar by putting a whole vanilla bean inside a jar of sugar for about a week. However, if you can't get vanilla sugar or can't gain access to vanilla bean to make your own, you can just use regular sugar and vanilla extract. (I haven't found vanilla bean anywhere around Idaho Falls, unless I'm not looking good enough. Anybody seen any?) image via foodspotting.com

Ingredients

• 2 c. flour
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. (2 sticks) melted butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 package of yeast
• 1/3 c. lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla sugar (or 1 Tbsp sugar and 2 tsp vanilla extract)
• 1/8 tsp salt

Directions

1. Put the lukewarm water in a small to medium bowl and mix in the yeast, vanilla sugar, and salt. Let the yeast develop for 15 minutes. In the meantime, melt the butter.
2. Put the flour in a large bowl. Make a hole in the middle of the flour and pour in the yeast mixture. Add the eggs and butter and knead together till you get a nice and even dough. Then let it rest so the yeast can get to work and the dough bubbles. (The dough will look scary so don't worry if you think it looks wrong!)
3. Gently mix in the rest of the sugar. Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes. At this point you can turn the waffle iron on and get it heated. Make sure the iron isn't on a high heat. The waffles take a tad longer to bake and the sugar will melt up faster than the waffles can bake if the iron is too hot.
4. Now it's time to cook those waffles. (Remember to grease the waffle iron with cooking spray!) Pour the dough into the iron and allow to bake up for about 3 to 5 minutes. Because we put that sugar in at the end it will melt and caramelize. This is where that special Liege waffle taste comes in.

Mint Brownies

Happy March! As long as I can remember around here, March has always come in like a lion. But today the sun is shining and it isn't even cold! So does that mean March finally came in like a lamb here in southeast Idaho?

Anyway, it's not March if we don't feature a few green items! And I think we're starting with one of the best green foods ever: Mint Brownies. This will be a St. Patty's Day treat for many, I can feel it.

Bottom Layer: Brownies (I use the homemade brownies recipe found on this site.)

Middle Layer: Mint Frosting (from Our Best Bites)

• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 4 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 1/2 tsp mint extract
• 1-2 Tbsp milk
• green food coloring

Top Layer: Chocolate Glaze (also from Our Best Bites)

• 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 6 Tbsp butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with foil making sure the foil extends over the edges by at least one inch. Lightly spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. Make the brownie batter according to the directions for homemade brownies. Pour into the pan and bake for 35 minutes.
3. Cool completely on a metal rack. When they have cooled to room temperature, prepare the frosting: Start with 1 1/2 tablespoons of milk then add all other ingredients. Beat until light and fluffy. Add more milk by teaspoonful as needed. Add drops of green food coloring till it reaches the color you prefer. Spread frosting evenly over brownies and place them in the fridge to chill.
4. Prepare the chocolate glaze while the brownies are in the fridge: Place the chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes and carefully spread on top of the frosting layer. Return the pan to the fridge to cool. When the chocolate has hardened, use the edge of the foil to remove all the brownies from the pan. Cut into squares and serve.

* If you prefer a richer dark chocolate brownie layer, Our Best Bites has a great recipe!