Chocolate Chip Muffins

Weekends are meant for baking in my mind. We don't eat a lot of sweets in my house, so once a week or so I like to make something special. I love the smell of yummy goodness baking away in my oven. These chocolate chip muffins are light and fluffy, and just melt in your mouth.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

1 cup of milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup white sugar

1Tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375˙ Spray your muffin tins or line with baking papers. In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl mix together melted butter, eggs, and milk. Fold your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients. Stir until your ingredients are combined, do not over mix. You want fluffy muffins. Fold in your chocolate chips. Fill your muffin cups evenly. Bake until a toothpick comes clean, about 18 to 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Spicy Tofu Sugar Pea Stir Fry

Healthy, clean eating is very appealing. Achieving this can be hard sometimes with a hectic and busy daily routine. I am going to make it a goal of mine to live this way of eating clean more often. Here is a simple healthy and nutritional dish, that has two of my favorites, spicy and sugar peas.

Ingredients

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbs dry Sherry

1 Tbs brown sugar

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

3/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 Tbs sesame oil

1 lb. firm tofu, patted dry and cut into small cubes

3 medium shallots, thinly diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 cups of sugar peas

1 tsp. roasted sesame seeds

Brown rice

Directions

Whisk together soy sauce, sherry, sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat. When the oil starts to smoke, add tofu. Make sure your tofu is pretty dry. You want to caramelize the outside of your tofu not boil it. Cook your tofu until it is a golden brown on all sides. Remove tofu from your pan and set aside. Reduce your heat to medium add remaining 1 tsp. oil, shallots, and garlic. Cook until this starts to brown. Add sugar peas and sesame seeds, saute until your peas are a bright green and slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved tofu and sauce mixture. Cook until the sauce thickens up, about 1 minute. Serve over steamed brown rice.

Enjoy!

Valentine's Pudding

♥Happy Valentines Day♥

I hope your day is as sweet as can be, filled with love and surrounded by the sweethearts in your life! Here is a little treat I made for the love's of my life this Valentine's Day. Nothing says I love you more than homemade pudding. I assembled my pudding in already made chocolate heart cups topped with chocolate curls and fresh raspberries.

Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

2 cups of whole milk

1/2 cup of sugar

1/3 cup of cocoa powder

4 tsp of cornstarch

4 large egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp of fine salt

Directions

Put 1 1/2 cups of milk and sugar into a saucepan, bring to a boil. Simmer over med/high heat then remove from heat. Do not let boil. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of milk, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks, and vanilla in a bowl. Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture in with the egg mixture. Return the combined mixtures over medium/high heat whisking constantly until the pudding comes to a full boil. Reduce the heat to remain a simmer, continue whisking until the pudding becomes thick. Cover with plastic wrap so a skin does not form and place in refrigerator over night until set.

Vanilla Pudding

Ingredients

2 cups of whole milk

1/2 cup of white sugar

2 whole large eggs

3 Tbs cornstarch

1/4 tsp fine salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbs butter

Directions

In a medium saucepan over med/high heat, heat milk. Do not bring to a boil. In a bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt. Pour mixture into milk a little at a time stirring to dissolve. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl and slowly add to the mixture. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens. Do not bring to a boil or you will scramble your eggs. Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter. Chill overnight.

Enjoy!

Game Day Queso

Today is game day and one of the items on our menu is my absolute favorite! I actually dream about queso. Ya it's that bad. Here is my take on this cheesy dip. I hope you all are having a fun day. Go Packers!!

Ingredients

1 Tbs. Canola oil

1/2 white onion, finely chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

12 oz extra sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

4 oz monterey jack cheese

4 oz Velveeta American cheese, cut into cubes

2/3 cup of milk

1 tomato, seeded and diced

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over med/high heat. Add diced onion and jalapeno to the pan and cook. Cook until onion is translucent. Reduce heat to med/low, add all of your cheese and your milk. Whisk until cheese is completely melted. Mix in the tomato, reserving a few cubes to garnish. If your queso is to thick add additional milk until it reaches the desired consistency. Serve Immediately.

Enjoy!