DIY Magic Shell

this is so easy to make you are going to kick yourself for not making it sooner.

1 1/4 Cups Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Coconut Oil (measured when solid)

Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave about 1 minute (depending on your microwave). (or on the stove top)

Allow to sit a few minutes to allow the heat of the oil to melt the chocolate chips and then stir until smooth.

It will be runny.

Pour into a reusable container.... if you refrigerate you might want it in a glass container for reheating it.

Copycat recipe: Starbucks Green Tea Lemonade

If you know me you know I have a thing for ice tea any kind of ice tea actually. So when I walked into Starbucks for the first time I was automatically drawn to the Ice tea drink and I noticed Green Tea Lemonade. I also love Lemonade so this was of course what I would order. It was so good I just had to figure out a way to make it. Because honestly it costs way to much for my liking.

5 bags of green tea

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

Place tea bags in a glass measuring cup and fill to the 2-cup line with boiling water.

Let steep 3-5 minutes.

Discard tea bags and pour tea into a 2-quart pitcher.

Add 6 cups of cold water and lemonade concentrate.

Stir.

Chill or if you are antsy and want to drink it right away like I did, pour into a glass filled with ice.

Ice Cream Frosty

This tastes quite similar to a Wendy’s frosty!

For extra fun add in some Smarties or Oreo cookies, chop cookies before adding to mixture

Servings 1-2

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

1/2 cup whole milk or half and half cream

1/4 cup Nestles Quik

1 teaspoon powdered egg whites

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a blender, blend all ingredients together until well mixed.

Mixture should be very thick.

Pour into a tall chilled glass/s.

Originally posted here at: Kittencal's Kitchen

Mardi Gras Planning....

Looking at planning my menu for Mardi Gras for Tuesday, March 8, 2011.

Here are some things I have found so far....

• Creole Chicken (see seasoning below)
• Sweet Potato Casserole (see below)

Creole Seasoning (Emeril) Recipe
This mix may be stored up to 3 months.

2-1/2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp cayenne
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried thyme

Combine paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne, oregano, and thyme thoroughly in a bowl.

Store in an airtight container away from light.

REBA McENTIRE'S PRALINE SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

1 large can sweet potatoes, drained
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 C. sugar
1/4 C. margarine, melted
2 eggs
Topping
1/4 C. margarine, melted
3 T. flour
3/4 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. pecans, chopped

Mash potatoes; add salt, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, melted
margarine and eggs. Put into greased casserole. Mix topping
ingredients and sprinkle over top of potato mixture.

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Miss Carol's Corn Bread Cake
The cake is so named because it looks like cornbread - not because it uses cornmeal.

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour, sifted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 x 9-inch baking pan and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugars, oil, eggs, vanilla extract and pecans. Mix well. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly, especially into pan corners. Bake about 35 minutes, or until it tests done.

Tony Roma's Baked Potato Soup

Tony Roma's Baked Potato Soup

2 medium potatoes (about 2 cups chopped)
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced white onion
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups instant mashed potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 cup half and half

Garnish
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon
2 green onions, chopped (green part only)


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake the potatoes or 1 hour or until done. When potatoes have cooked remove them from the oven to cool.

2. As potatoes cool prepare soup by melting butter in a large saucepan, and sauté onion until light brown. Add the flour to the onions and stir to make a roux.

3. Add stock, water, cornstarch, mashed potatoes, and spices to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out contents with a large spoon. Discard skin. Chop baked potato with a large knife to make chunks that are about 1/2-inch in size.

5. Add chopped baked potato and half-and-half to the saucepan, bring soup back to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer the soup for another 15 minutes or until it is thick.

6. Spoon about 1 1/2 cups of soup into a bowl and top with about a tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese, a half tablespoon of crumbled bacon and a teaspoon or so of chopped green onion. Repeat for remaining servings.

oh my lands....

I went out to dinner with a group of wonderful ladies a week or so ago....

We went to tony roma's and although the food was good it wasn't anything I would run back for accept their onion loaf.... their onion loaf was the best thing I have ever tasted and I just came across a recipe for it!!!

Tony Roma's Onion Ring Loaf

Ingredients :

5 white onions sliced
1 cup milk
3 eggs beaten
Salt to taste
2 cup pancake mix
Oil for deep-frying
Parsley sprigs for garnish

Method :

* Separate onions into rings. Combine milk, eggs and salt to taste in mixing bowl. Soak onion rings in mixture 30 minutes.
* Place pancake mix in shallow bowl. Heat oil for frying in skillet to 375 degrees.
* Remove onion rings from milk mixture, dip in pancake mix, and place in hot oil. Fry rings until golden brown. Drain fried onion rings on paper towels.
* Pack fried onion rings solidly, but loosely, without pressing, into 8- by 4-inch loaf pan. Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn onto serving plate. Garnish with parsley.
* This recipe yields 4 servings.

Stove Top Stuffing Copycat

1/3 cup freshly chopped celery
4-5 slices white bread
3-4 slices whole wheat bread
3 tsp chicken bouillion
2 tsp chopped dried onions
1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/8 tsp EACH sugar and onion powder

To prepare, you need:

1 2/3 cup water
1/4 cup butter

Mince the celery tiny and dry overnight on a sheet pan overnight, or in a very slightly warm oven. I have a dehydrator, which makes it much easier!

Press the bread together to compress it and cube it. You should have about 4 cups of bread.

Dry the bread cubes in a 250 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes. You should have about 2 2/3 cups cubes after drying.

Combine the dried veggies, seasonings and bread. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

To prepare the stuffing, bring the water and butter to a boil, stir in the veggie/spice mix, cover and let simmer 10 minutes. Add the bread cubes, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for 5-7 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Moist Deluxe Dark Chocolate Cake Mix(Copycat-Duncan Hines) Recipe

2	cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4	cups sugar
3/4-1	cup cocoa
2	teaspoons baking powder
1	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon salt
4	tablespoons vegetable shortening
To make cake
1 1/3	cups water
1/2	cup vegetable oil
3	large eggs

1. Combine flour, sugar,cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Now stir to combine. Add shortening, using electric mixer on medium speed to blend the shortening into the dry ingredients. Completely mix shortening until you can't see any chunks. This is the mix which may be kept in a sealed container for several months.
2. To make the cake:.
3. Preheat the oven to 350*F. Grease sides and bottoms of two 9" baking pans, or one 9x13" pan. Lightly flour the greased pans. Blend the dry cake mix(above) with water, oil, and eggs in a large bowl with the mixer at low speed until just moistened. Kick up the speed to medium and mix about 2 more minutes.
4. Pour batter into pans and bake 30-33 minutes for the 9" pans and 35-38 minutes for the 9x13" pan.If you wish to make cupcakes, bake for 19-22 minutes.

Pillsbury Cresent Roll

2 pk Active Dry Yeast
3/4 c Warm Water, luke warm
1/2 c Sugar
1 ts Salt
2 lg Eggs
1/2 c Shortening (Part Butter)
4 c Unbleached Flour
Butter Or Regular Margarine,
Softened

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir
in the sugar, salt, eggs, shortening and half of the flour into the
yeast mixture.

Add the remaining flour blending until smooth. Scrape the dough
from
the sides of the bowl and cover with a cloth dampened in warm water.
(The cloth should feel wet, but not be so wet that water drips onto
the dough.) Let rise in a warm place (85 degrees F.), until doubled,
about 1 1/2 hours. Divide the dough in half, rolling each half into
a
12-inch circle 1/4 inch thick. Spread with the soft butter and cut
each circle into 16 wedges. Roll up each wedge beginning at the
largest end. Place, point side down, on a greased baking sheet.
Curve
to form crescents. Cover and let rise until double, 1 hour. Preheat
the oven to 400 degrees F and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until
they are a rich golden brown. Brush with soft butter. Makes 32
crescent rolls.