Peppermint Pattie Brownies

I made these for the teachers at school this spring...big hit!! I'm making them again tomorrow for Bible study!


Peppermint Pattie Brownies

• 1-1/2 cups butter, softened
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extact
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 package (12 ounces) chocolate-covered peppermint patties

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  
• Beat in vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture and mix well.
• Spread about two-thirds of the batter in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Arrange peppermint patties over top.
  
• Carefully spread remaining batter over patties. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (top will appear uneven).
• Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Yield: 2 to 2-1/2 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 257 calories,

Quick ideas

I love a good curry and this is a really quick, shortcut version that is great when served over rice! It was a staple in our house growing up...thanks Mom!!
(I made this on Monday night with just one chicken breast and halved everything...super easy!)

Mom's Easy Chicken Curry

1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/3 cup mustard (any kind; yellow, dijon, spicy, whatever you have on hand)
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. curry powder (more if you like a stronger curry flavor)
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper
3- boneless, skinless chicken breast

(Use a 9x13 pan, bake for 30-40 minutes, at 350 degrees)
Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces.
Mix together mustard, honey, curry powder, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Top the chicken with cubed butter (it will melt in the oven)
Pour curry sauce over chicken and butter.
Throughout cooking time (2-3 times), stir chicken and curry sauce (the butter will be melted) to make sure everything is coated and mixed together.

The curry caramelizes during cooking and creates a beautifully thick sauce to pour over rice! Delish!

You could easily add onion, bell pepper and green beans which are often added in curry recipes.



This is another easy dessert recipe from Pampered Chef that I like to make for Bible study!

Cool and Creamy Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients:
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels 1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed 1/2 teaspoon Pantry Korintje Cinnamon		1/2 teaspoon rum or vanilla extract (optional) Assorted fresh fruit dippers such as whole strawberries, apple, peach or pear wedges (optional)

Directions:

1. Place chocolate morsels and half of the whipped topping in Small Batter Bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 1 minute or until chocolate is melted and smooth, stirring after each 20-second interval. Fold in remaining whipped topping, cinnamon and rum extract, if desired; mix until smooth. Cover; refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
2. To serve, spoon fondue into small bowl. Serve with fruit dippers, if desired.

Yield: 2 cups (16 servings)

Nutrients per serving: (2 tablespoons fondue): Calories 80, Total Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrate 7 g, Protein 0 g, Sodium 0 mg, Fiber 0 g

Cook’s Tips: Ground cinnamon can be substituted for the Korintje Cinnamon, if desired.

Use the Apple Wedger to easily cut apples and pears into uniform wedges.

Dip the apple, peach and pear wedges into lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.

If preparing the fondue ahead of time, store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons milk for a creamier consistency.

Things to try

Since returning home, I have a list of things to try before school starts. Here are 2 that have caught my attention!

Red Thai Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 4 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Preparation

1. Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a saucepan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shrimp; sauté 3 minutes or until done. Remove shrimp from pan; keep warm. Spoon coconut cream (the thick part from top of the can) into pan using a slotted spoon. Add curry paste; cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring constantly.

3. Stir in remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring frequently. Add bell pepper; toss to coat. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add shrimp; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice. Spoon 1 cup rice onto each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 cup shrimp mixture.

Banana Split Ice Cream Cake

• 20 whole Oreo Cookies
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• 4 whole Bananas
• 1 pint Strawberry Ice Cream
• 1 pint Vanilla Ice Cream
• 1 jar (about 16 Oz. Jar) Hot Fudge Sauce
• 1 container (16 Oz. Container) Frozen Sliced Sweetened Strawberries, Thawed And Drained
• Fresh Whipped Cream, For Serving
• Crushed Pineapple, For Serving

Preparation Instructions

Take out the strawberry ice cream to thaw. Place the Oreos in a gallon Ziploc bag and crush well with a rolling pin or small frying pan. Pour the melted butter into the Ziploc bag and mix it up. Press this crumb mixture into the bottom of a springform pan.

Slice the bananas into 1/2″ rounds and arrange in a single layer on top of the crust. (Use as many banana slices as needed to fill the layer.) Place the pan into the freezer for about 10 minutes.

Scoop the softened strawberry ice cream in small scoops on top of the frozen banana layer, smoothing it together with a spoon dipped in warm water. Return to the freezer for 1-2 hours, until the ice cream is firm again.

Take the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer to thaw. Warm the hot fudge sauce slightly, just until it is easily spreadable. Pour the fudge over the strawberry ice cream layer, smoothing the top, and place back into the freezer for 15 minutes or so, until the fudge has firmed up again.

Scoop the softened vanilla ice cream in small scoops on top of the fudge layer, again smoothing it together with the back of a spoon dipped in warm water. Cover with plastic wrap and return to the freezer for at least another 4-6 hours until very firm. (At this point the cake could be frozen, well wrapped, for a week or longer!)

Pour the drained sliced sweetened strawberries into a bowl and crush with a pastry blender or a fork until the berries are all mashed up. Store in the fridge until almost ready to serve the cake.

Spread the crushed berries over the top of the cake, to within one-half inch of the edge. Serve with fresh whipped cream and crushed pineapple for those who want it!

Best of Seattle

There was much laughter, great food, bonding, shopping, pajamas, beautiful scenery and incredible weather...loves!!

Citrus Vinaigrette

Sara friend spoiled us and treated Melissa and I like QUEENS! Seattle was incredible and I loved every second. Upon arriving home, I went grocery shopping for the first time in about 2 months. This is my favorite homemade salad dressings and it goes great with my favorite salad...baby spinach, grilled chicken and avocado.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon honey

Directions

1. Whisk together the vinegar, orange juice, oil, mustard, garlic, and honey in a bowl; store in refrigerator.

Still alive and kickin'

• I'm 4 weeks into my 6 week vacation, which happens to include 3 weeks worth of grad classes, dealing with a little something called humidity and foreign institutions called "Guthrie's Fried Chicken" and grocery stores like Piggly Wiggly and Food Lion.

• I'm thankful to be on the home stretch and working towards my last year of hell, (aka, teaching and grad school) and looking at a overwhelming task called, "790" which is my thesis of synthesizing everything I've done for the past 3 years.

• In all seriousness, God has blessed me with the opportunity to finish my Master's degree in an atmosphere of Christ centered teaching and instruction. I've been privileged to sit under some of the best Christian professors and learn from them.

• I've gotten to spend some quality time with both my brother's, and especially my youngest brother, who is one of the smartest people I know.
• I'm looking forward to a whirlwind trip home, for all of 24 hours before leaving for SEATTLE and seeing Sara. And Melissa. Fun times two. CANNOT WAIT.

• New favorite things: Words with Friends for Ipod touch/Iphone. It's like speed Scrabble. LOVE IT. Tervis Tumblers. Insulted clear cups that don't sweat with ice. Starbucks Via...without a coffee maker, this is my go-to. It's not bad, I can almost make myself believe that's its the real deal.