Paula Deen's Flash-in-the-Pan Steak Fajitas

My daughter and I were talking the other day that fajitas sounded good.  In the most recent Paula Deen magazine there were several fajita recipes.  I decided to try the steak ones.  Boy were they delicious!  Everything is cut up and marinating the night before so there is not much to do the next evening.  Easy.

The recipe can be found here:  http://www.pauladeenmagazine.com/recipe_results.php?id=3485

Pioneer Woman Meatloaf and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

I know it has been AGES since I posted any recipes. Hopefully, that will change.  I was just so busy for such a long time between work, Girl Scouts, grandkids, son.  Rest is busy but work is starting to ease up some.

Tonight I decided to make the Pioneer Woman's Meatloaf and her creamy mashed potatoes.  My helped me.  I got a late start on it so we did not eat until after 8:00.  But, we all thought it was worth the wait!  It was so good.  The catsup, brown sugar, dried mustard and tobasco topping caramelized on top and you also put the leftover sauce on your meatloaf before eating.  The meatloaf recipe is located here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/meatloaf-recipe/index.html

The potatoes are just as yummy!  Kelly did the potatoes.  The cream cheese, butter and half and half, plus baking makes it one of my favorites!  This is where the potatoes recipe is found:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/creamy-mashed-potatoes-recipe2/index.html



This is definitely an awesome Sunday night dinner.  Takes a little too long for me for during the week.  I will definitely make this again!

Have the Cake: Frightfully Delicious Chocolate Cupcakes

• I have not participated in the Have the Cake Challenge in a few months, but when I saw it was pumpkin themed, I had to do it!  I love this time of year with the pumpkin recipes and Halloween themed goodies!

I found this recipe on the Very Best Baking website.  They have such yummy looking stuff.

My granddaughter, Samantha had spent the night after the whole family watched the original "Halloween"movie.  The next morning, I asked if she wanted to help make cupcakes and she yelled "YES!"  I think she was excited!  She loves to bake with Grammy.  My daughter and the rest of  her family came over later.  She and her son, Austin helped to decorate the cupcakes.  I think for the decorating, I put orange food coloring in the icing and helped spread on.  The two of them did the rest.

The recipe was easy to do.  The chocolate and pumpkin blended great together and it was not too much a pumpkin flavor, just enough.

Frightfully Delicious Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 12/ cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin (libby's 100% pure pumpkin)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
3 large eggs
1-16 oz container prepared white frosting
Halloween decorations Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Paper-line 20 muffin cups

Microwave 1 cup morsels in small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 1 minute; stir.  If necessary, microwave additional 10-15 second intervals just until morsels are melted.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.  Beat sugar, pumpkin, oil, milk and eggs in larger mixer bowl until smooth.  Beat in melted chocolate.  Stir in flour mixture.  Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.

Bake for 22-27 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes; removed to racks to cool completely.  Frost cupcakes and decorate.

My daughter, Kelly, decorated these.

Fruit Dip

This is another recipe from the August/September1998 "Taste of Home" magazine.  We had this for dessert last night.  It's supposed to be Sprinkle Fruit Dip, but I opted not to have the sprinkles.  It was simple and easy and yummy.

Sprinkle Fruit Dip

1 1/2 cups strawberry yogurt (I used low fat)
1 1/2 cups whipped topping
1/4 cup colored sprinkles (divided)
4 large green apples, sliced
4 large red apples, sliced
2 pints fresh strawberries
4 cups red and/or green grapes

Directions:
In a bowl, fold together yogurt, whipped topping and half of the sprinkles.  Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.  Just before serving, top with remaining sprinkles.  Serve with fruit.

Barbecue Picnic Chicken

Last night my daughter and family, along with good friends Mark and Cheryl (and baby MaKenzie), came over for dinner.  We all made some food and had one delicious feast.  I put together the sauce for the chicken (which my son-in-law grilled).  The recipe was another one found in the August/September 1998 "Taste of Home" magazine.  It was really yummy.  I added a touch more hot sauce and used boneless chicken breasts.  Next time, I think I will cut back on the celery seed, tho.

It was a  hit; everyone seemed to enjoy it. My 4 year old grandson ate a big breast himself.

Barbecued Picnic Chicken

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp butter or margarine
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chili sauce
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T celery seed
1 T prepared mustard
1/2 tsp salt
2 dashes (or more) not pepper sauce
2 broiler-fryer chickens (3 1/2 - 4 pounds each) quartered.

Directions:
In a saucepan, saute the garlic in butter until tender.  Add the next eight ingredients.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  removed from the heat and set aside.

Grill the chicken, covered, over medium heat for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.  Baste with sauce.  Grill 15 minutes longer or until juices run clear, basting and turning several times.

Food Around the World: Quiche Lorraine

I found this while searching for a French recipe this month's Food Around the World.  My son was not home for dinner, so perfect....he does not like eggs.  I made this for dinner last night. My daughter and son-in-law came over for dinner, too.  I served the quiche with French bread, of course, and fresh fruit.

The quiche was delicious.  I want it again now!  I found the recipe on About.com.

Quiche Lorraine 

1 layer pastry dough
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (I used like 7)
4 eggs
1 cup half and half
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded (I used Swiss)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Fit the pastry into a deep-dish pie pan. Sprinkle the bacon onto the bottom of the pastry.

Beat together the eggs, half and half, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Pour eggs over the bacon and sprinkle with the shredded cheese.

Bake the quiche for 45-50 minutes until the eggs are set in the middle. Cool slightly and serve.

Blueberry Crunch Cake

I found this recipe in the August/September 1998 Taste of Home magazine.  I've been wanting to make it.  The recipe was in the "Men Who Run the Range" section.  The gentleman featured was 94 at the time!

I made this for dessert last night with ALOT of help from my daughter, Kelly, and my grandkids, Austin and Samantha.

It is so delicious!  The crumb mixture for the middle and top was so yummy!  I've been wanting blueberry stuff so this helped satisfied the craving!

Blueberry Crunch Cake
CRUMB TOPPING:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup finally chopped pecans
1/3 cup cold butter

CAKE:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
 2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups blueberries

Directions:
In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients; cut in the butter until crumbly.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Stir in vanilla.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture, alternating with milk. Mix well.

Spoon 2/3 of the batter into a greased 9-inch springform pan.  Sprinkle with 2/3 of the crumb mixture.  Top with blueberries and remaining batter and crumb mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 65-70 minutes (took me less) or until a toothpick inserted near middle comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing sides of pan.  Dust with confectioners' sugar.