Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I love peanut butter and I love this cake. My 3 yr old loves peanut butter too so I knew this was the cake to make to celebrate his birthday. My daughter discovered and adapted this recipe but I have no idea where it originally came from.

Ingredients:
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup oil
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 pinch salt

Directions: Preheat overn to 350. Linke cupcake pan with paper liners. In large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, applesauce, oil, and peanut butter until light and fluffly. Beat the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top of the cupcake springs back when lightly pressed. Cook in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Rich chocolate frosting:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
18 oz semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2 oz pieces (I like ghiradelli 60% chocolate chips)
2-3 cups powdered sugar

Heat the heavy cream and butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Place the chocolate pieces in a bow. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Stir it in and then use a mixer to blend it together well until you have the consistency and sweetness you like. Frost the cupcakes.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

My niece posted this recipe on my daughters facebook page. I knew immediately I had to try it. I went the the blog Foodie and the family to find the recipe. Go to that website to see pictures that will do this cheesecake justice. It was everything I thought it would be and more. It is recipes like this that make me feel really bad for all those people that are allergic to peanuts these days. They are really missing out.

Ingredients
2 cups Oreo crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4x 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
5 eggs, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 bag mini peanut butter cups

Topping:
1/2 cup peanut butter
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream
15-20 mini peanut butter cups (saved from the cheesecake ingredients)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together Oreo crumbs and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan and bake for 15 minutes. Cool.

Beat cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each. Add sugar, peanut butter, and cream; mix thoroughly. Stir in vanilla. Pour half of the mixture into the cooled crust, layer with 2 cups of mini peanut butter cups, then top with remaining cheesecake mixture.

Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The sides of the cheesecake should be set but the middle will be a little jiggly. (it should not be runny) Cool slightly then put it into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Chop up the chocolate and melt it in a double boiler (or microwave). Cool slightly then add all but 1 tablespoon of cream. Stir and then pour over the cool cheesecake (while still in the springform pan). Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Place peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of whipping cream in a bowl and microwave until it's a runny consistency. Either place the mixture in a piping bag or using a spoon, top the cheesecake with a peanut butter swirl. Before the swirl sets, surround the outer edge of the cheesecake with the remaining mini peanut butter cups

Red, White, and Blueberry Trifle

I found this recipe on a new to me blog called skinny taste. I absolutely loved it. It was yummy and yet seemed pretty healthy with all of the berries. I added raspberries in addition to the strawberries. It was delicious.

Ingredients:
10 oz angel food cake, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 pints strawberries, sliced
2 pints blueberries
for cream filling:
6 Tb fat free sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups cold water (I used milk)
1 pkg sugar free white chocolate pudding mix
12 oz fat-free frozen whipped topping

Directions:
Whisk the condensed milk and water in a bowl. Whisk in the pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set; fold in the whipped topping.
Arrange half of the cake in the bottom of a 14 cup trifle dish. Sprinkle evenly with a layer of blueberries. Spread half of the cream mixture over the blueberries and gently spread. Top with a layer of strawberries. Layer the remaining cake cubes on top of the strawberries, then add more blueberries and top with the remaining cream mixture. Finish with the remaining strawberries and blueberries, arranging them in a pretty pattern. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Sweet Potato Burritos

My niece, Lia, made these for our family one night. I thought they were delicious and so good for you too. I can't wait to make them again.

Ingredients
•1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•1 onion, chopped
•4 cloves garlic, minced
•6 cups canned kidney beans, drained
•2 cups water
•2.5(ish) tablespoons chili powder
•2 teaspoons ground cumin
•4 teaspoons prepared mustard
•1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
•3 tablespoons soy sauce
•4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
•12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
•8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water, and heat until warm (it's going to seem really watery). Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce. Mix in mashed sweet potatoes.
3.Divide bean and sweet potato mixture evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style, and place on a baking sheet.
4.Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.

Blueberry Cookies

I loved the idea of these cookies as soon as I saw them on How Sweet it is. I thought maybe I could improve on them by adding chocolate chips as well as the blueberries. There are very few things chocolate doesn't improve, but this is actually one of those things. I liked the cookies with just blueberries better than the blueberry and chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp milk
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well until combined, about 2 min. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 1/2 tsps cinnamon with the mixer on low speed. Mix until dough comes together. Fold in blueberries gently with a spatula--it is okay if they break a bit. Refrigerate for 30 min. Remove dough from fridge and roll into 1 1/2 inch balls or scoop out with an ice cream scooper. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely.

Puppy Chow or Muddy Buddies

I don't know how I've made it through my life without discovering a love for muddy buddies until now. I've known about them for a long time but they've never really appealled to me enough to even try them. My daughter brought them home from a friends house and insisted I give them a try. Then I couldn't stop eating them, they were so yummy! Then she made another batch and I know I ate at least half of them. She is now banned from making them because I have no self control.

Ingredients:
9 cups corn or rice chex
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Into a large bowl, measure cereal; set aside. In 1 quart microwavable bow. microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food storage plastic bags. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Mango Blueberry Muffins

I was so excited when I saw this recipes on Allrecipes, I made it immediately and the muffins were delicious. I couldn't help but be a little sad that I don't like coconut because I think if I did the coconut streusel topping would have been amazing. As it was I just made a normal streusel topping to put on top, and they were still amazing muffins. I think I may not ever go back to just plain blueberry muffins again.

Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1 tablespoon white sugar
3 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut, chopped
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup mango - peeled, seeded and diced

Directions
1.Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 16 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2.Combine 1/4 cup flour, the cinnamon, 1 tablespoon sugar, the coconut, and 1 pinch of salt in a small bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons of butter until completely incorporated into the flour; set aside.
3.Beat the unsalted butter, 1 1/4 cups sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat the first egg into the butter until completely blended before adding the second; continue mixing until light and fluffy. Combine 1 3/4 cups of flour with the baking powder. Stir into the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Toss the blueberries with 1/4 cup of flour; stir into the batter along with the mango. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins; sprinkle with the coconut streusel.
4.Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 25 to 35 minutes.