Cherry Blossom Mini Cheesecakes!

With all this warm weather, I've been eating a LOT of ice cream.  And you KNOW how much I love my ice cream....one of my favorite Culver's sundae ever was their Cherry Blossom sundaes (cherry pie filling & chocolate..mmm none of that maraschino stuff)- which were the sundae of the month every April & they stopped producing in 2006 :( 
(why can I remember that but not remember things like do you store Cefprozil suspension in the fridge? when is generic Diovan coming out? What are important counseling points on glycopyrrolate including what the brand name is?. ugh.)
Anyways! My point was- that sundae was delish & I REALLY miss it! So here is my dedication to the sundae- introducing my cherry blossom mini cheesecakes- I consulted many of my recipes & miss-mashed them to create this recipe here:

Cherry Blossom Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients---
Crust:
-1 1/4 c crushed chocolate cookies (I use oreos & scrape out the cream...and eat some of the cream so it's not wasted!!!)
-3 tbsp butter
-1/4 (ish) c mini chocolate chips

Cheesecake:
-2 (8oz) cream cheese, room temp
-3/4 c white sugar
-2 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
-Hershey's syrup

Directions:

-to make the crust- crush chocolate cookies; melt butter & mix in cookie crumbs. let cool slightly & stir in chocolate chips.  Press a spoonful of this mixture in the bottom of a lined cupcake pan- makes 18 (or so) cheesecakes

chocolate!

---I dropped a cherry from the pie filling on the top of the crust layer on every cheesecake

-Cheesecake- preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Beat the cream cheese until smooth, mix in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla
-Spoon some of the cherry syrup from the pie mix into the cheesecake batter & swirl (didn't measure, and mine didn't even look pretty it just all turned pink....can't say presentation is my strong suit)

I thought this was SUCH a great idea! but my skills were lacking!

-dispense batter evenly amongst cupcake pans

mmm chocolate. cherry. cheesecake. what's not to love?

-bake for 20 minutes
-let the cheesecakes cool
----top with cherry pie filling & drizzle Hershey's syrup over the top

these are kinda messy with the Hershey's syrup but oooo good stuff!

-store in refrigerator and ENJOY!

Grilled APPs (grilled fruit in foil!)

Whoa whoa whoa- I know you're all thinking, did Kelli upgrade to a smart phone? she can't even get apps.  If she has apps & how does she even know which ones are good?  Nope, my APPs are apples, peaches & pineapples, & I grilled these up for a nice dessert after stuffing my face with a cheeseburger & onion rings. (Like I would feel less guilty overeating if I added in a little fruit instead of one of the chococaramelly brownies?).

Still...not creative with a name, and ate more than I should have.  And I don't have an exact recipe for this, but it's one of those you can experiment with-if I can't mess it up, you can't either, I have faith!!!

Grilled fruit in foil! (keep it clean)

Ingredients:
-2 apples (I used gala)
-1 container sliced pineapple (or pineapple cut up fresh)
-1 package of frozen peaches (or peaches cut up fresh)
-any other fruits you enjoy eating- we thought blueberries, grapes, etc
-butter
-brown sugar
-cinnamon
-lite corn syrup
-tin foil

Directions:
Chop up your fruit choices
Mound them on a layer of tin foil
Dab on butter (use a couple tablespoons)
Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon

pineapple, peaches, apples

 -Pour some corn syrup over the fruit mix and seal fruit in tin foil
Place on grill & grill on medium heat for about 20-25 minutes

Remove from grill, open, and enjoy! this would be great with vanilla ice cream....and to provide some aromatherapy to the kitchen..mmm

The only downside- I LOVE grilled pineapple, like straight up on the grill, creating the grill lines, and this is definitely not as delish as that.  but I was pleasantly surprised & will for sure add in other fruits next time.  Also, I think I would mix up the whole kit n caboodle (wow, did I just say that?)-the fruit, sugar, cinnamon, syrup-maybe even melt butter and mix EVERYTHING----when I was eating-it was good, but some pieces were GOOD (covered with more sugar/cinnamon).  Live and learn- now go out and enjoy the warmer weather & grilling season :)

Chococaramelly Brownies

Clever, ey? Ok....no.  This is why I couldn't do marketing or anything that involves any creativity other than creatively trying to convince people to take their medications appropriately.  Basically I set out this morning with the goal of dressing up a box of brownie mix, and yes I scrolled through pinterest looking for ideas, and even turned to my allrecipes.com and Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk recipes and finally something clicked- Chocolate Caramel Brownies!  these are chocolate-y caramel-y fudgy bites of goodness....luckily they are rich so you only need a small piece...but I can't say that I stopped at only one.  See if you can resist:


Chococaramelly Brownies


Ingredients:
-1 box brownie mix (and ingredients to make according to box- water, oil, eggs)
-12 Ghiradelli chocolate-caramel squares (or other chocolate candy with soft caramel-like carmello bars)
-1 jar caramel ice cream topping

3 things??? done.

Directions:
-Preheat oven according to box
-Prepare brownies according to box
-Spray 13x9 pan with cooking spray
-Pour about 1/4-1/3 brownie batter in pan to cover the bottom
-Place 12 chocolate caramel candies on top of batter

mmm could eat just this!

-Pour remaining batter over chocolate
-Pour some caramel topping over brownie mix (I didn't measure, I just dumped some on)
-Take knife and swirl caramel into the brownies

Can't say I'm a master marble-r

-Bake according to box
-Let cool & eat!!!!

the pic doesn't do it justice!

Nice & gooey on the inside

I was kinda sad back when I was grocery shopping as the Ghiradelli chocolates were on sale at Walgreens- after 3 Walgreens & no milk chocolate caramel, I gave in and just bought dark chocolate caramel squares.  Did I save ANY money? no....gas prices aren't the best. Did I save ANY time? no....thank goodness Jethro & I can both contain our bladder.  But honestly the dark chocolate was great! Made the brownies a little more rich- and healthier, right?!?! haha.

Enjoy :)

More Oreos!!! Cookies 'n cream chip cookies

Another day off....another day in the kitchen (and the grocery store haha)!  And of course, I HAD to try another new recipe that was found off of pinterest- I have a bookmarked folder of pinterest recipes that grows rapidly daily.  After my oreo cheesecakes I had to find something else to make to use up my oreos....oreos are good enough on their own, but hey, might as well add a little adventure!  So I present to you these-

Cookies 'n Cream Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
-2 1/4 c flour
-1 tsp bkg soda
-1 c butter, softened
-1/2 c packed brown sugar
-1/2 c white sugar
-1 (4.2 oz) pkg Oreo pudding mix (Jello brand)
-2 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
~ 1 to 2 cups of white chips (I like a little less...but you can add up to 2 cups)
~15 oreos, chopped

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Cream butter & sugars
-add pudding mix (the dry mix itself-don't make into pudding) & mix until blended
-beat in eggs & vanilla
-In a separate bowl, sift flour & baking soda, and stir into wet ingredients
-stir in white chips & crushed oreos

-Form dough into balls and place on a greased cookie sheet (or on parchment paper)

Bake cookies at 350 for 9-10 minutes
Cool (a little) and EAT!

Friends, you have NO IDEA how much I loved these cookies! I was so surprised!!! When I found the recipe I thought, hmmm these may be good maybe I'll try them at some point- but now, I'm thinking I'm going to have to whip up a second batch so I have a couple to share.  The batter tastes pretty darn good too ;) Enjoy! and enjoy the night because tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!

dessert time-Mini Oreo Cheesecakes!

Last but not least for Fat Tuesday- dessert!!! I made these a couple days ago for a a coworker's birthday- and credit goes to pinterest.  These are def sweet though...but a good spin on oreo desserts!

Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes:

Ingredients:
-22 oreos (16 whole, 6 crushed-I used double stuf so I could enjoy the leftovers but I would use normal oreos in the future)
-2-8oz cream cheese (I used neufchatel cheese...1/3 of the fat!)
-1/2 c sugar
-1/2 tsp vanilla
-2 large eggs, slightly beaten
-1/2 c sour cream
-pinch salt

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 275 degrees
-place cupcake liners in cupcake pans, and place 1 whole oreo on the bottom of each (makes 16-18)
-Beat cream cheese, then beat in sugar & vanilla
-pour in beaten eggs (I just whisked them in a bowl with a spoon) adding a little at a time
-Beat in sour cream & salt
-stir in chopped oreos
-pour in the cupcake liners & fill almost to the top
-Bake 22-25 minutes, and allow to cool in pan about 15 minutes.  Refrigerate 4 hours, enjoy one or two, & store in fridge

As I said, using the regular (non-double stuf) oreos would probably be better, and I think these tasted better after a day or two.  An oreo on the bottom is a super easy crust I may use for other cheesecake fillings, but these may also be good with just the chocolate cookie as a crust, no creme. 

Happy Fat Tuesday :)

I love...desserts!!!!

Here is my pre-Valentine's day Valentine's day dinner dessert recipe I promised you and OF COURSE didn't post it yet.  And yes, I got this recipe from pinterest. And yes, this dessert was SO freaking delish!!!  Honestly, probably the best cookie bar I have ever had! mmmm.

Cake Batter Bars

Ingredients-
-1 1/4 c cake mix (dry)- I used yellow although the recipe called for funfetti
-3/4 c all-purpose flour
-1/4 tsp baking soda
-3/4 c butter, softened
-1 egg
-1 egg yolk
-2 tsp vanilla
-1/2 c white sugar
-1/2 c brown sugar
-sprinkles/decor


Directions-
-Preheat oven to 350 degress
-grease an 8x8 inch pan
-cream white & brown sugar, butter, vanilla, egg, & egg yolk
-gradually mix in cake mix, flour, and baking soda
-stir in sprinkles (the recipe called for 5 teaspoons, I didn't measure just kept adding until it looked fun & colorful)
-spread batter in pan
-bake about 30 minutes
-let cool!!!!

I didn't take all the step-by-step pictures....but here is my finished product!  Before I baked them, I put cookie cutters on the top & sprinkled red sugar into them & then baked.

---They baked weird- just looking at this picture- the outside edges look really hard & crispy, and the middle is soft & sunken in- but the original recipe had comments that it looked not cooked, but don't keep baking it because it supposed to be like that, and overbaking really isn't good........so against what little baking skills I had, I took it out and mmmmmm it definitely is cooked through & tasty.  I thought the outsides would be hard & nasty, but a day later they were delish as well.

Hope you love the dessert, and that you get to share it with people you love :)

Making Monday a little better....

If you didn't figure me out yet, I like EASY! yummy & easy.  When I'm looking for new recipes to try, if the recipe has like 12 or more ingredients, I definitely reconsider making them.  Especially if there is like 8 different spices at a 1/4 teaspoon each.  So this recipe sounded DELISH and was super easy.  And something kids & kids @ heart will love.

Cake Batter Rice Crispy treats (mmhmmm)

Ingredients:
3 tbsp butter or margarine
1 (10 or 10.5oz) bag of mini marshmallows
1/3 c yellow cake mix (the dry mix itself)
6 c rice crispies
fun sprinkles!

Directions:
-Melt the butter & marshmallows- easy enough to do in the microwave
-Add in the cake mix, a little bit at a time- this helps it incorporate better so you get that cake mix-y taste
-Stir in the rice crispies, and once mixed add in some sprinkles to make them look all pretty
-Spread the rice crispy mix in a lightly greased 13x9 pan
-Sprinkle a little more "pretties" on top, & let set for about 30 minutes before digging in.
-----> yes, yes, a half hour.  In the mean time do the dishes and maybe a few crunches so you won't feel as guilty when you eat like 5 of these...yes they are that good :)

Hope you all have a great day!  Check back soon for more yumminess!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

Happy 50th-ish birthday to my amazing mom- who has taught me so much- medicine, patience, loving, laundry, and of course COOKING!!!   In her honor, I dabbled into the unknown and tried a new recipe- and here it is folks!

(Mom- if you're reading- surprise! this is what dessert is tonight!)

Mini Nutella Cheesecakes

Ingredients-
12 chocolate hazelnut pirouette cookies, crushed
2-3 tbsp melted butter/margarine
----mix these, and put in the bottom of a cupcake pan-lined- makes 12

2- (8 oz) cream cheese, softened (I use the 1/3 fat ones- Neufchatel cheese)
1/2 c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
4 tbsp nutella

Preheat oven to 325. Blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.  Add eggs and beat well.  Fill cups w/ about 1/2-2/3 the batter.  Stir in nutella in the remaining batter, and distribute to each cup, topping off the cheesecake filling.
Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes- remove, let cool, and keep chilled

I then melted a little milk chocolate chips and drizzled over the top...which you could do with about anything.  The part I suck the most at is presentation- so this is what I got (don't judge):

How it looks on the inside

I hadn't made these before- and after trying them, the bottom was a little chewy/sticky/weird.  It tasted alright, but I may forgo the sounds-like-a-good-idea pirouette cookies and just do straight up chocolate crust

Also- I would have swirled the nutella layer more into the plain cheesecake layer- they probably would have set up better & looked a lot better too!!! OR maybe just add more nutella and do straight up nutella cheesecake instead of layers.

bottom line: tasty.....not healthy.....but tasty.  ENJOY :)

WELCOME!!!

Hello friends, family, and random people who may have found my blog!  As many of you know, I LOVE food and I love to cook up new recipes & old faves.  After teasing people on facebook with statuses announcing yummy food, I decided to start an outlet to share my food adventures AND share recipes with you all.  Chances are, I may not post as often as I should or want, but I'll try my best to keep you interested and your bellies full. 

To start, I'll entice you with a recipe I just came across this past week and it turned out with positive results- so here it is folks!!!!

Cookie Dough Truffles
(eggless! so moms abound can't yell at you about salmonella poisoning!)

Ingredients:
-1/2 c butter, softened
-3/4 c packed brown sugar
-1 tsp vanilla
-2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
-1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
-1/2 c mini chocolate chips
-1 1/2 lb chocolate candy coating  (& any decor ideas!) (I wound up just using 2 (12 oz) bags of milk chocolate chips to coat and they turned out yummy)

Directions:

-Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. 
-Beat in vanilla. 
-Gradually add flour and sweetened condensed milk-alternating (as in, add a little flour, little milk, so on) & beat well.  The recipe says 2 1/2 cups of flour, I had to add a little more in because the dough was sticky.  -Stir in chocolate chips.
-Shape into 1-inch balls.  I had to put the dough in the fridge for like 10 minutes so it was easier to roll into balls. 
-After rolling into balls, I put them in the freezer, covered, for about a half hour- this made them easier to dip in chocolate, which is the next step. 
-Melt the chocolate and then dip the dough balls in, and place on a tray for chocolate to harden. 
-Once all are complete, put the truffles in the fridge- they must be kept refrigerated. 

If I had tips on dipping the dough balls into the chocolate, I would give them but I cannot say they looked pretty when I finished them!  I put each ball in the chocolate, and covered it with chocolate and put a fork under it to lift it out of the chocolate, letting some extra chocolate drip.  I then put a large cookie sheet down, covered it with wax paper, then put on a wire drying rack- this worked, but after refrigeration when I tried to remove the truffles some of the bottoms ripped off. 

The end result though...TASTY!  Not guilt-free, but can hit the sweet tooth.  Hope you guys enjoy this and any recipe to come :)