Day 4- Cinnamon and Cocoa !!!!!!

Today was another bust and draining day for me. My kids have been whinny all day , my dog has gone crazy right along with me, and i don't think I've seen my husband for more than 6 total hours in the past 3 days !!!!
So with that being said, i made a quick and easy dessert to share with the in-laws and sister in law, and my oldest devil child. It came out really nicely and only took a total of 45 minutes....


Mocha Pudding Cakes ( Recipe makes 2 servings, I doubled it..)
1/4 cup flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3 Tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp. melted butter
1/4 tsp vanilla
TOPPING:
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking cocoa
1 Tbsp. water
Whipped topping and cinnamon, optional

In a small bowl, combine cake ingredients and place into individual oven safe bowls sprayed with nonstick spray.
Combine brown sugar and cocoa; sprinkle over batter. Then sprinkle top with water.
Bake @ 350* for 15-20 minutes, until a knife comes out clean.... Enjoy !!!

Day 3- Sweet and Green !!!!!!!

Today is actually tomorrow, as i am posting this a day late. I was so tired yesterday that i just didn't have it in me to stay up and post. I really didn't even have it in me to make something yesterday, however i told myself that i needed to because if not i would fail this challenge of mine. So i made something simple.... A SALAD !!!


So if your having one of those days and don't really feel like eating or making anything grand try this colorful and tasty salad...


Mandarin Pecan Salad: Ingredients make 1 serving
1 cup Romaine lettuce
5 slices of Mandarin oranges ( 1 small can of oranges will be plenty for 4 people)
5 pecan halves ( i didn't use any since i dint have any, but im sure it would give it a nice touch)
dried cranberries ( i used crasins)

Dressing: Mix ingredients well... (Make this for each serving)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
4 tsp. honey
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar ( i used white wine vinegar)
3/4 tsp. dijon mustard
1/8 tsp. salt
Dash of onion powder

Hope you enjoy this salad, you could also mix up a big batch of the dressing and put it into a mason jar and place it in the refrigerate. when getting ready to use it again let it set at room temperature for awhile and shake well before using.

Day 2- Peanut Butter and Chocolate !!!!!!

OMG.... Today I made cookies and just not any  kind of cookie, I made my new found favorites !!!!
This recipe is super easy and almost to good to share ! 2 dozen cookies is just not enough for are family so i recommend making a double batch of these delicious treats.

Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies:
1 pkg. of fudge brownie mix ( I used Betty Crockers brand)
1/4 cup shortening (melted)
4 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 egg
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 can of chocolate or cream cheese frosting ( I used the cream cheese)


Preheat oven to 350*. In a medium bowl beat the brownie mix, shortening, cream cheese and egg until well mixed, it will be quite sticky. Roll into 24 balls and place onto ungreased baking sheets. In another bowl mix together powdered sugar and peanut butter, then roll that into 24 balls, slightly smaller than the cookies, and push them down into the middle of the cookie. Bake for 10-15 minutes, and cool. Once cool spread some frosting on top and enjoy this sinful dessert......


* Tip: While i was rolling the cookie into balls, i wiped some flour onto my hand to keep it from sticking to my hands.

Day 1 - Dinner & Dessert !!!!!!

Today I began my 365 day challenge, making one new recipe everyday. So for my first day I decided to cook dinner and desset for the family (since the mother-in-law and I take turns making dinner). It all turned out very well and was quiet delicious. Below are the recipes and pictures to enjoy !!


For Dinner I made; Ginger-Orange Pork Tenderloin, Backed Corn, and Potato Wedges along with a salad....

Ginger-Orange Pork Tenderloin:
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 tsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pork tenderloin

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. pour 1/2 cup marinade into a large ziplock bag and add the pork. Seal and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Refrigerate remaining marinade for basting. Coat grill with nonstick spray (you can cook it in the oven also, just use a broiling pan). Cook until meat reads 160*. I cooked it for 20-25 minutes on the grill.

*Overall this was a good recipe, however my family and i like more spices and seasoning on our meals so if that is the same for you i would recommend rubbing it down with some Montreal Pork seasoning.

Baked Corn:
2 cans of cream-style corn
16 saltine crackers, crushed
1 Tbsp butter, melted
A dash of salt and pepper
1 egg
1/4 cup milk

In a small bowl, combine the corn, saltines,butter,salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking dish, coated with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, whisk egg and milk. Pour over corn mixture. Bake, uncovered @ 350* for 40-45 minutes or until top is golden brown.


* This is an excellent side dish, i have had this before, but thought id share the recipe for those of you who have not.

Potato Wedges:
Cut 3-4 potato's in half lengthwise then cut those pieces into 3-4 more pieces. In a small bowl mix together 1 Tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp of paprika, and 1 tsp seasoned salt.(You can also buy an envelope of potato seasoning found in the produce area at your grocery store.) Place potatos on a baking sheet and cook at 400* for 45 minutes, turning them once.

For dessert I made individual servings of this super easy and awesome dessert. Our family loves Eclairs so this quick and scrumptious dessert sealed the day.

Chocolate Eclair Graham Dessert:
8 graham cracker rectangles per serving
Instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup whipped topping

Topping:
1 square of semisweet chocolate
2 tsp butter
2 tsp milk
1 1/2 tsp corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar

Place 4 graham cracker rectangles on each serving dish. Prepare pudding as directed and let stand until soft-set, then fold in whipped topping. Place 4 tsp of pudding mix on top of graham crackers and top with four more crackers. For topping, melt chocolate and butter in microwave. Stir in milk, corn syrup, vanilla and sugar. Spread over top Graham crackers. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

*This was delicious and such a quick and easy recipe to be made over and over again.


Hope you enjoy these recipes. More to come tomorrow, but Until then goodnight !!!!!!!

A New Year !!

Hello everyone my name is Victoria (Vicki for short). I'm a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) of two wonderful children (most of the time), and I've been married for 3 years to an amazing man. My family and I just moved back from Colorado 6 months ago after my son was born, and since then I feel like day to day I just don't do anything. Yes I cook dinner (occasionally, since we still live with the in-laws), wash clothes, go to occasional playgroups, but i don't DO anything.
Well the other day I was playing with the kids and the Tv was on in the living room and the movie "Julie and Julia" was on. It wasn't all that intriguing to me, but I left it on anyways. I glanced at it every now and again and when it was over I decided that the movie was ok, not great just ok, but the concept of the movie was awesome!
So I've decided to start a blog of recipes, ones that I've never tried before, that are unique and different than the usual everyday stuff we have. To top that off I decided to try one new recipe a day for a whole year. I love to cook, so why not? It would be something new and interesting for me to do and in the mean time I could try out new recipes that I never got around too.

So I told Brian (my husband) what I planned to do, and of course he was OK with it, since I very rarely make something he doesn't like. I'll be trying all sort of recipes for anytime of the day. Including; desserts, sides,pastries,main dishes,drinks and anything else you can think of !!!!

So starting July 26, 2010 until July 26, 2011 I will be in the kitchen each and everyday making something delicious. I'd love you to follow me and share your opinions, even your recipes. Try some of mine and let me know how they turned out for you. I will share pictures and stories as I'm sure there will be many.

Wish me luck !!!!!!!!!

**Vicki **