Strawberry Marshmallows - Product Review

We were at Target when I saw strawberry marshmallows and immediately thought how yummy marshmallow treats would be if they were strawberry flavored. I made the treats that night and I was a little disappointed. There was not much flavor. Afterwards I was thinking that I should have cut up strawberries and stuck them in the bars, but then again I could do that using regular marshmallows. So I guess my suggestion would be to pass on the strawberry marshmallows, the cheaper store brand marshmallows do the trick just fine.

I am still thinking about the fruit mixed into marshmallow treats......that could be interesting.

Pasta Stuffed Chicken

I am trying to get back into cooking and baking. Over the past several months, I have not had much time or desire and then when I would cook something, it would be a flop. I am not sure if it was due to lack of patience or if a person can just get rusty at what they are doing. I am hoping I am on a good path and starting to get my groove back! I found this recipe in a magazine. I ripped out the page and there is no identification anywhere on the front or back of the page to say what magazine it was. I guess it will not really matter because I adapted the recipe a little.

This is a little like Chicken Parmesan but instead of the chicken resting on a bed a spaghetti, the pasta is on the inside of the chicken. It was really good and I am sure I will make it again. It was not difficult to make.....remember I am going through a phase right now, and I was able to make it turn out!!!

Chicken Stuffed with Pasta

1/2 cup small shell pasta, like Ditalini

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley

salt

2 large eggs

2/3 cup italian breadcrumbs

4 boneless chicken breasts

3 cups marinara sauce ( I used Classico tomato basil sauce)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to their directions. While the pasta is cooking, combine the cheeses and half of the parsley in a bowl. Drain pasta and add the hot pasta to the cheeses; season with a little salt.

Prepare a 2 quart casserole dish with about 2 cups of marinara sauce spread in the dish. It will be about an inch thick in the dish. The chicken will bake on top of the sauce.

In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs. In a separate bowl or plate, place the breadcrumbs. Pound out the chicken breasts until they are about 1 inch thick. Place a spoonful of the cheesy, pasta mixture in the middle and roll. I used toothpicks to hold the chicken together because we will browning in a skillet before placing in the oven to thoroughly cook.

Heat up a skillet with a little oil over a medium heat. Dip the stuffed chicken breasts in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Place in the skillet and brown all sides. You are just doing this to get the chicken brown, not to cook all the way through. Place the browned chicken in the marinara sauce and place any of the left over pasta in the middle between the chicken. Bake for 30 minutes or until the meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees. During the last 5 minutes of cooking add some mozzarella and parsley to the top of the chicken.

While the chicken is baking, heat up the rest of the marinara sauce to be served with the chicken for those who like extra sauce.

Print recipe

Enjoy!

Carrot Cake - Mini Style

I love baking and cooking! I have missed it so much over the last couple of months! I guess being in the kitchen is my way of relaxing and having some "me" time. There is something relaxing about looking through cookbooks, magazines, blogs, and websites for new recipes. I also enjoy the meal planning and doing all the preparations . My stupid job, that I HATE (yes I know a strong word, but true!) has kind of robbed me of this "me" time. I am still working 12-15 hours a day and the work has been stressful! So I have not only been stressed out by work but I have not had any "me" time to relax and do things I enjoy! I am too exhausted when I get home and I end up on the couch!

OK enough boo hoo Gena!

I have made these cupcakes several times and I love them more each time I make them! They are so moist and sweet with just the right amount of spice. Make sure you grate the carrots with a small grate and remove any large pineapple chunks from the crushed pineapple. This just helps with the consistency of the cake. (Have you ever had carrot cake with stringy carrots because the carrots were grated to large, yuk!). If you put nuts in your cake, you may want them to be a little on the smaller side too, so you can get a hint of the nut and not be overwhelmed with the nut flavor....you do not want to miss out on the yummy cake!


Carrot Cake
2 eggs
1 C. oil
2 C. brown sugar
2 C. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 C. finely grated carrots
5 oz. crushed pineapple; drained

Mix together eggs, oil and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Slowly add flour mixture into egg mixture. Add in carrots and pineapple and mix well. If you like nuts, coconut, or raisins, they can be added at this time. Pour into 9x13 greased pan or into lined cupcake pan. Bake at 350 for 35-45 min for the cake, or 28 minutes for cupcakes. Frost when cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 oz pkg. softened cream cheese
1/4 lb softened butter
1-1/2 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix all ingredients with hand mixer. You can top these with raisins, nuts or pretty sprinkles.

Print Recipe

Enjoy!

Will be back soon!

Since mid February I have been working on a large project at work that has me working 15 hour days and most of my weekends, so I have not had time to cook or post anything. I really miss planning, cooking, and spending time at the table talking about our day! My hours should go back to normal within the next 5 days. I cannot wait!!

Brownies with something extra!

On Sunday Chelsea was coming over for dinner so I wanted to make a dessert. I did not have much time so gathering up 100 ingredients and whipping up a snazzy delight was out of the question. Instead I grabbed a cheap brownie mix and added one of those large Symphony candy bars with the almonds and toffee. These were sooooooo gooooood! I put half of the batter in the pan, topped with half of the crushed up candy bar, then came the rest of the batter and topped it with the rest of the candy bar. The crunch from the nuts and toffee were yummy and all that extra chocolate made the brownies so rich. Next time I will use one of those candy bars with peanut butter in the middle, or maybe something with a little carmel! This is a really good way to spruce up the cheap brownie mix and give your brownie your own little spin.
Enjoy!