Red Velvet Holiday

The holiday season is here! 

It has been for a while now, and one of the best things about the holidays, besides spending time with family, is the delicious FOOD! This year I decided to make some Holiday red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. I use the recipe from Bakerella and it really is my favorite recipe I have tried so far. The recipe was originally for Valentine's day inspired cupcakes, but the red color really is festive and can be incorporated for the holidays as well. 

Ingredients: 

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 oz. red food coloring

Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Line trays with cupcake papers.

• Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir together with whisk until blended. Set aside.

• Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together with another wire whisk.

• Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined.

• Pour into cupcake pans and drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.

• Bake for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

• Makes 24 cupcakes

Frosting:

• Sift sugar and set aside. (THIS PROCESS IS HIGHLY IMPORTANT SO THAT THE SUGAR DOES NOT CLUMP WHEN YOU MIX IT TOGETHER. This helps the frosting be smoother.)

• Beat cream cheese and butter on high until creamy. Add vanilla.

• Then, add the sugar in batches. Scrape down the sides in between each addition.

• And frost away.

Link: 

http://www.bakerella.com/cupids-arrow-cupcakes/

Easy, Creamy and Delicious

Okay, so again, I find myself with little to no time to come up with an over the top meal for dinner. Like that's ever going to happen. And although this recipe is RIDICULOUSLY easy, it's also DELICIOUS as well. Just like any other extravagant dinner! Well, Sort of… 

Check out the steps and tell me that ain't easy! 

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Heavy Cream

1 Cup of grated Parmesan Cheese

2 Tbl of Butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions: 
1. Add the two cups of heavy cream to a saucepan and heat it up to a boil.

2. Once the cream has boiled, add the Parmesan cheese and two tablespoons of butter until they have blended together. 

3. Add a little bit of salt and pepper to taste and your done!

Tip: Want to make it Chicken Alfredo? Cook up some chicken cutlets with some salt and pepper and cut it up into thin slices and your done! I also like to sautée some mushrooms and add it into the mixture as well! 

 

Sweet and Sour Dinner!

Okay, I know I've been neglecting my blog, but this month has been crazy busy with schoolwork, finals and all the holiday shopping! With all of the craziness going on a quick fix dinner is usually what is left for the end of the day! And of course my favorite quick fix is Chinese! Who doesn't like yummy greasy Chinese from a box? This time I actually had a little bit of time on my hands 

and wanted to give it a try and make some myself! 

Sweet and Sour Chicken is one of my favorite dishes when ordering

 Chinese food and with a little bit of white rice on the side it really makes it a 

complete meal. 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (Cut into 1" chunks)

Oil

1- Red Bell Pepper

1- Green Bell Pepper

1- 16-20 oz can of pineapple chunks (reserve the juice for the sauce)

Batter: 

4 tbl cornstarch

1/4 cup of flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 egg white

Sauce:

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup pineapple juice 
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions: 
1. In a large bowl mix all of the batter ingredients together until smooth. Add the chicken, cover and allow the batter to sit for AT LEAST 30 minutes.

2. While the batter is setting, in a separate bowl whisk together the rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, pineapple juice, cornstarch and soy sauce together.

Tip: adjust the ingredients until you have the acquired the taste you like for the sauce.  

3. Add all the ingredients and bring to a boil in a saucepan. 

4. Once the sauce has boiled, bring it to a medium heat and add the bell peppers and pineapple chunks. Once it has reboiled bring it to a simmer and let it sit. 

 

5. Heat a pan with oil.


6. Add the chicken pieces and fry in batches until it becomes firm.

 

Add the sauce with the chicken and a little bit of white rice ! Enjoy! 

Thanksgiving in a nutshell!

Do you smell that? The holidays are in the air! My favorite months of the year of course are the last three. I spent an amazing Thanksgiving day with friends, family and delicious FOOD! I had three different turkey's from oven roasted to fried and an abundance of sweet treats and desserts as well! 

Here are a few pictures of what was going on yesterday!     

Only SOME of the many sides from the feast including a sweet potato casserole,  mashed potatoes and my old fashioned Mac and Cheese. 

 

The Turkey Scene

The Deep Fryer! 

And last, but certainly not least, DESSERT! 

A Yummy Ricotta Tart and Pumpkin Pie! 

As for my Thanksgiving Cooking, I made an old fashioned Mac and Cheese Baked with Parmesan and gooey Cheddar cheese! 

Ingredients: 

                                       

I pound of cooked macaroni

4 tablespoons butter

3 cups milk

5 tablespoons flour

salt and pepper

2 1/2 Cups cheddar cheese

1/2 Cup of Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven at 375 degrees. On the stove top, cook about 1 pound of elbow macaroni and drain once it is done. 

2. In a different Pan, melt the butter over medium low heat and add the flour little by little. Whisk the butter and flour together so that clumps do not form. 

3. Once the flour and butter reach a golden brown color, slowly stir in the milk. Make sure the milk is warm before doing so by popping it into the microwave or heating it on the stove.

4. Once the mixture has warmed up and mixed together turn off the stove. Make sure to continually mix the sauce so that the bottom does not burn. BELIEVE ME IT CAN HAPPEN ! But we won't get into those details. :-)

5. In a large 9x13 pan, mix the macaroni, the cream sauce and the cheese together. Top with breadcrumbs and some more Parmesan cheese. 

6. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees until the top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.   

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 30-40 Minutes

Servings: 15-20 Sides