Monday, August 28, 2017

Coffee Marshmallows

My mother's cousin is a good friend of mine. I truly love how my family members are more like friends than relatives.
She lives in state, but just far enough away that when she comes to visit, an overnight is in order.

She was down a couple of weekends ago, we had a fun "field trip" and then she spent the night.
The next morning, she was watching TV with hubby while I was puttering in the kitchen. She said "whatcha doing". When I said "making coffee marshmallows" she was in the kitchen in a flash!

Together we made these from A Cozy Kitchen.
Sadly, she had to go home before they were done chilling.

The next day, I cut them all up and packaged some for her.
I searched the house for a box to fit the container (no luck) so I brought it to work. Yeah, no luck there either!
The office manager and I managed to find a box that plastic silverware came in that was the right height. I spent some time being crafty, cutting it down to fit.
Whew!

Mailed them out (love me some click and ship!) and kept it a secret.
A couple days later I got a text message "OMG this is just sooooo good". Package had arrived safe and sound...and made cousin a very happy camper!

She now wants to play around with different flavors. I'm in!


Ingredients:
Prep:
½ Cup powdered sugar
½ Cup cornstarch
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
Vegetable oil
Marshmallows:
¾ Cup warm water
1 Tbsp instant espresso granules
3 Envelopes gelatin
1 ½ Cups sugar
1 Cup light corn syrup
½ Tsp salt
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 Tsp vanilla extract
Vegetable oil


Directions:
1. Prep ingredients: sift the dry ingredients together. Grease a 10 x 8 casserole dish with the vegetable oil. Add a tsp or two of the cocoa mixture, sprinkled over the prepared dish.
2. Combine ½ cup warm water and instant espresso granules
3. Whisk until granules are dissolved. Put in fridge to cool.
4. Pour cooled espresso into a large bowl (stand mixer preferred, but a hand mixer does work)
5. Sprinkle gelatin over the coffee mixture and let sit for 10 minutes
6. In medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, salt, and ¼ cup water.
7. Heat over medium heat until sugar has dissolved
8. Turn the heat up to medium high and bring mixture to a boil
9. Cook for one minute, until the candy thermometer reaches 240 degrees
10. Carefully add boiling liquid to the gelatin.
11. Turn mixer to high and beat for 8-10 minutes, until mixture has doubled in volume and holds stiff peaks
12. Sift in the cocoa powder and pour in vanilla
13. Beat until incorporated
14. Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish
15. Dust the top with a few tablespoons of cocoa powder/sugar mixture
16. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and allow to set until firm. Minimum 4 hours, preferably overnight

Print


Come party with me HERE!

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Smell Good Sunday #29

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale
3. Click around and visit other people, that's what makes this a party!






Featured Recipe from Last Week:
Jack Daniel's Grilled Salmon from Marilyn's Treats




Monday, August 21, 2017

Cookies and Cream Brownies

Some of the friends I have made over the years are due to my child's choice in friends.
Isn't that nice when it works out that way? The kids hang out, the moms (and sometimes dads) hang out too.

This one in particular, the girls were friends almost from birth to age 6. We moved away from them, but the girls (and moms) kept in touch via letters, presents, and Christmas cards.
Later on, the girls got back in touch via Facebook.

Mom and I though, we just stopped talking one day. Nothing happened, that I could think of at least, we just lost touch.

Last night I had a bad dream about her. It woke me up in a sweat. As I fell back asleep, I ended up slipping into another bad dream about her. This happened about 5 times total. It left me with an uncomfortable feeling.

I looked through my email and found a work email for her. I didn't even know if it still was the right one, but I had to give it a try.

To my relief, she answered it! We talked for a bit, and then promised we will have a phone marathon very soon.

I decided to celebrate by making some brownies!
I had seen a recipe on Inspired by Charm and just had to try it.

Oh. My. Word.

Now I am not sure what is more exciting, yummy brownies, or reconnecting with an old friend!

Ingredients:
2 Boxes brownie mix
(plus ingredients specified on box)
4 Cookies and Cream candy bars


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Prepare brownie mix according to the directions on the package
3. Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray
4. Spread half of the brownie mixture into the cake pan
5. Place candy bars on the brownie layer
6. Cover with remaining brownie batter
7. Cook for 35-45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean

Print



Come party with me HERE!

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Smell Good Sunday #28

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale
3. Click around and visit other people, that's what makes this a party!






Featured Recipe from Last Week:


New England Style Broccoli Salad from Our Unschooling Journey







Monday, August 14, 2017

Candied Yams

This past Thanksgiving as I was assigning everyone their dishes, we realized nobody had sweet potato.

Now, I have never eaten a bite of sweet potato, much less ever made them.
I figured everyone would want the "traditional" dish with the mini marshmallows...so I googled it and came up with this recipe.

I ended up doubling it as there are many, many of us.
Um, in the interest of full disclosure, I didn't know until I opened the can and placed them in the dish. I looked at them, thought about it, looked again....and decided to brave the store the day before Thanksgiving.

Imagine my surprise to find next to nobody in the store! Psyched!

I made them, they got eaten by most all...but it still wasn't eaten by me.

Maybe one year I will brave it.

Ingredients:
1 (29 oz) can sweet potato
¼ Cup butter, cut into pieces
½ Cup brown sugar
1 ½ Cups miniature marshmallows


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place sweet potato in medium baking dish
3. Place butter cubes all over the potato
4. Sprinkle with brown sugar
5. Top with miniature marshmallows
6. Bake 25 minutes

Print



Come party with me HERE!

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Smell Good Sunday #27

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale
3. Click around and visit other people, that's what makes this a party!






Featured Recipe from Last Week:


Black Bean and Mushroom "Meatballs" from: Best of Long Island and Central Florida











Monday, August 7, 2017

Chocolate Filled Crescents

I forget what I needed multiple packs of crescent rolls for, probably some party type food, but I stocked up at BJ's.

As is the general refrigerator rule, eventually the remaining tubes of rolls found there way to the very back, deepest depths of the fridge.

Washing the shelves, I found them. Hm. What now?
A quick Google search brought me to this Pillsbury recipe.

Everything on hand? Check!

Score!

 Ingredients:

1 Can crescent dinner rolls
½ Cup mini chocolate chips
Powdered Sugar

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350
2. Separate dough into 8 triangles
3. Place tablespoon of chocolate chips on wide end of each triangle
4. Roll up, starting at widest end to smallest point
5. Place on ungreased cookie sheet
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown
7. Sprinkle with powdered sugar


Print



Come party with me HERE!

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Smell Good Sunday #26

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale
3. Click around and visit other people, that's what makes this a party!