by Suzanne on January 14, 2013
Holy Schamoly! This is so good! I’m not going to waste your time by singing the virtues of this snack other than to tell you . . . It is going to knock your socks off! You will never be the same after snacking on this! MaryLoo Who will NEVER be the sweetheart of Junior League again! Denise over at Eat, Laugh Love is my new BFF! Denise’s Asian Chex Mix is my new favorite Super Bowl snack! OK, so this recipe is quick, easy, and just down right amazing. You are just going to have to make it for yourself because, well, mine is ALL gone. Time to make some more!! 5.0 from 4 reviews Print SuperBowl Asian SuperChex Mix! Author: Suzanne Collier Recipe type: Appetizer, Snack Cuisine: Asian Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 55 mins Serves: 10 Don’t rest until you make this snack for your family and friends. They will love you forever. Promise! Ingredients Makes 10½-cup servings 2 C Corn Chex 2 C Wheat Chex 4 C Sesame Sticks 2 C Small Pretzel Twists 1½ C Wasabi Peas (4.9 oz can) 1 C Salted Peanuts 4 T Unsalted Butter 1 T Honey 1 Tbsp Curry Powder 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 1 tsp Garlic Powder 1 tsp OnionPowder 1 tsp Ground Cumin ½ tsp Pink Himalyan Sea Salt 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper Cooking Spray Instructions Preheat oven to 200°. Combine chex, sesame sticks, pretzels, wasabi peas and peanuts in a large bowl. Set aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture, tossing gently to coat. Spread the mixture into a large roasting pan or jelly roll pan, coated with cooking spray. Bake at 200° for 45 minutes, stirring a couple of times during the baking time. After removing from oven, stir again. Cool completely before serving. 3.1.09 While you’re at it, you may as well make a double batch. Seriously. It is THAT good. You must check out Denise’s blog. On the same page of her blog with this snack recipe is a recipe for Baked Wontons with Cilantro-Peanut Sauce. I just bought the wonton wrappers and already have all the other ingredients. I have about half of a leftover roasted chicken that I am going to use instead of the ground [...]
by Suzanne on November 15, 2012
You can tell by looking at this picture that the candle is the “focus” (ha!) on this plate, not necessarily the treats. So, let’s talk about the candle first! Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, birthday to my cyber-foodie friend that I have actually met in person. And we still like each other. Actually, we love each other. Funny how things work out. Today is Katrina’s birthday. I think she is 24 or 25. But, then she has these four handsome boys – and a husband – so that makes me think maybe she is a little older than that. Maybe 29. I think that is part of the reason she calls her blog Baking and Boys. Ya think? But I digress. Katrina and I met online through a Yahoo! food group. We chatted in the chat room, ’cause that IS what you do in a chat room. And found that we really enjoyed each others sense of humor. Shelby from The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s Honeybunch was also a part of that group and we all drifted toward each other like earth magnets. And we have stuck together ever since. We keep saying that we are going to have a girls’ night out – which for us would mean traveling from Texas, New York, and Utah to a place that could handle the three of us for a night. Well, more like a long weekend. We are still searching for a town that will allow us to stay that long. I’m sure we will find something. . . My Mountain Man and I traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, a couple of years ago and I emailed Katrina to see if she wanted to meet up and have lunch. You can read all about it by clicking here! Both of us have made a little sumpin’-sumpin’ for Katrina for her birthday and have mailed it to her for “munching” pleasure. Click on the link for Grumpy’s Honeybunch to see her birthday wishes and recipe. In my case, there are two treats, one of which you will see below. The other will be coming up tomorrow. Check your mailbox, Katrina!!!! No, silly. The one by your driveway. 4.5 from 2 reviews Print Lemon Balls Author: Suzanne Collier, Adapted from Snack Girl Recipe type: dessert, sweet, coconut, almonds, lemons Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: [...]
by Suzanne on September 30, 2012
Happy Birthday to You . . . Happy Birthday TO You . . . Happy Birthday dear sweet Shelbyyyyyyyy . . . . Happy Birthday to yyyyyyooooooooOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUU! And many, many more! It’s Shelby’s birthday, if you haven’t already figured that out. If you didn’t, then I suggest you head back to bed and get some more sleep. Or go suck on a 5-hour energy drink of some sort. Shelby is the Honeybunch who blogs over at The Life & Loves of Grumpy’s Honeybunch. Grumpy is her husband. At least she tries to make you think he’s grumpy, but he’s not. He’s just an opinionated man. He likes what he likes and well, at times he doesn’t like. Hmmmmm, maybe my Mountain Man is related to Grumpy. Just sayin’ . . . Today is Shelby’s birthday and there are several of us, her friends and fellow food bloggers, that prepared dishes from her blog. We are posting them on our blogs, and then we are going to eat them and think of our beloved Shelby. No, she doesn’t get to eat any of these great dishes. No, she didn’t get to smell the great aroma’s in our kitchens while they were cooking. And no, we are not showing up at her house ringing her doorbell and singing happy birthday. We are doing all of this through the amazing technology of cyberspace. She will just have to “pretend” we are there and that she gets to eat all this food. Even though, she doesn’t. What a celebration, right??? Well, we would all LOVE to be there to celebrate with her at her home in New York (and I have promised her the next time we are there, we WILL be stopping by), and one of these days we all plan to get together somewhere here in the United States and celebrate our long-distance friendships. But until then, we are thankful and grateful that we all know each other and appreciate the camaraderie that happens between good friends – even in cyberspace! This is only one of LOTS of great recipes that Shelby has created and made. Please do drop by and wish her a happy birthday, too. One can never have too many friends or birthday wishes. So, to start her birthday day off, here’s my dish and gift for Shelby. 5.0 from 1 reviews Print Shelby’s Raspberry Coffee Cake Author: Suzanne Recipe [...]
by Suzanne on June 11, 2012
What kind of person would I be if I were to have been assigned a blog named “Smells Like Brownies” and not pick a brownie recipe to make? Well, I’m NOT that kinda person. YAY me!! Melissa is the genius over at Smells Like Brownies. Don’t be expecting any recipes with fruit. Nope, this stay-at-home, married-to-a-man-who-doesn’t-give-two-hoots-about-cooking, lady who thinks pumpkin should pass her lips with every recipe that she makes – whew! – does not like fruit. Zip, zilch, nada. However, give her some chocolate and she will go to town! Well, unlike Melissa’s husband, my Mountain Man does like fruit. But he also is a brownie-a-holic and can’t leave them alone. So, for the betterment of all mankind, I decided to make Melissa’s Coffee Brownies. Sort of. Mostly the same, but with a bit of Mexican chocolate thrown in for good measure, thus, the title of this post. So, here we go! Print Cafe’ Brownies Author: Suzanne Collier Recipe type: Dessert, Snack Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 45 mins Serves: 16 Brownies are kinda like the perfect food. Good for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack. These brownies incorporate the best of the best, chocolate and coffee. Ingredients Brownie Ingredients: ½ cup Salted Butter 3 oz. Mexican Chocolate 2 Eggs 1 cup Sugar 1 tsp. Vanilla ⅔ cup Flour ¼ tsp. Baking Soda Filling Ingredients: 1 tbsp.+ Heavy Cream 1 tsp. Instant Coffee granules 2 tbsp. Salted Butter, softened 1 cup Confectioner’s Sugar Ganache Ingredients: 1 cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips ⅓ cup Heavy Cream Instructions Preheat oven to 350°. To make the brownies, melt butter and Mexican chocolate over low heat in a small saucepan. In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla until light and creamy. Combine flour and baking soda with the eggs, sugar and vanilla and slowly add the chocolate mixture. Spread the brownie batter into a greased 8″ square baking pan. Bake for 25–30 minutes. As soon as the brownies come out of the oven, combine the cream and coffee granules in a small bowl; stir until coffee is dissolved. In a small mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until no chunks of butter are visible. Add the coffee mixture and beat until it becomes creamy. Add a tinsy bit more cream if mixture is too thick. Spread over cooling brownies. In a small saucepan, combine chocolate chips and [...]
by Suzanne on May 14, 2012
My SRC assignment this month was Oh Boy! Karen Cooks! by Karen, of course. That would be silly if it were by Sandy or Roberta. So yes, Karen is the cook. And DOES she cook! It seems there is no limit to what this talented lady can make – and make successfully. I mean, hells bells, I can cook just about anything, too. Doesn’t mean it always turns out exactly as I had hoped. Especially in the baking department, more specifically if it involves yeast. But Karen has ALL that mastered. Everything on her blog said, “Try Me! Try Me”. But when I saw THESE, I knew it was the one for me. Karen found this recipe by Mark Bittman. They looked so good I just couldn’t pass them by. There is always something that I want to make that I’ve never made before. And, well, I’m a cracker virgin. I love crackers! There is something about the light, crunchy texture and the saltiness that is just my style. Whether with a great cheese or soup, salad or spread, or whether they are a plain saltine or a big multigrain seeded disk, I love crackers! Did I mention that I love crackers? These crackers are crunchy, tender, flaky, and just melt in your mouth. And soooo versatile you can make them anything you want with just a little imagination. Karen, my hat is off to you! These will be a “go to” recipe for special occasions and every day munching! I can’t wait to make more and figure out what other flavors I can make. 4.7 from 3 reviews Print Parmesan Black Pepper and Sesame Seed Crackers – Secret Recipe Club Author: Suzanne Collier Recipe type: Appetizer Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 12 mins Total time: 27 mins Serves: 4 This little cracker has BIG flavor. I’m quite sure it will be the talk of the table when you serve them! Ingredients 1 cup all-purpose Flour ½ tsp Sea Salt ½ cup finely grated fresh Parmesan Cheese 4 T unsalted butter ¼ cup cream or half-and-half 1 tsp fresh cracked Black Pepper 1 tsp Black Sesame Seeds Coarse salt for sprinkling Instructions Preheat oven to 400F degrees Put flour and sea salt in food processor. Add one tablespoon of butter at a time and pulse between adding each tablespoon until mixture appears “mealy”. Turn food processor to the “on” setting and [...]
by Suzanne on March 13, 2012
I am SUCH a ditz sometimes. Some would say more than just “sometimes”. But you know, it usually works out well in the end. I’ve learned not to stress too much. Just fix it and move on. So, I’m fixing it and I’m moving on. But not before telling you about this great recipe and my friend, Heather over at Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks. I already know that Heather is kind and forgiving (read – I screwed up). But she also has a LOT of fabulous recipes, loves to cook, bake and read. She also has this great nickname that her husband and a friend of his, Mojo, came up with for her “rock ‘n roll” name several years ago – and it stuck, thus the name “Hezzi-D”. I love to cook, read, and have a great nickname that one of my husband’s friends gave me about 28 years ago, “Vivisue” – a combination of my first and middle names. But what we don’t have in common is a “love” for baking. It’s not that I don’t like to bake, I just don’t think I’m very good at it. I’ve really been in the mood for a bundt cake, and when I saw Heather’s recipe for Babovka, I knew I had found exactly what would calm the Craving Beast inside me! By the way, I told my Mountain Man that he couldn’t slice into the cake because I hadn’t taken pictures yet . . . . and I thought he was going to, well, you know . . . cry. Shhhhhhhh, don’t tell him I told you that. 5.0 from 4 reviews Print Slovakian Pound Cake Author: Suzanne Collier Recipe type: Dessert Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 1 hour 15 mins Serves: 12 Ingredients 4 Eggs, separated 1½ c. Powdered Sugar ⅓ c. Grapeseed Oil ⅓ c. Apple Butter ⅔ c. Hot Water 2 tsp Vanilla 1¼ c. Flour 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Baking Powder 6 oz semi-sweet Chocolate Chips 1 c. chopped Walnuts 2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder Extra powdered sugar for dusting Instructions Preheat oven to 350F degrees Grease and flour your bundt pan. Separate the eggs. Put the yolks in a large mixing bowl and the whites in a small bowl. Beat the yolks with your mixer and add the sugar. Incorporate well. Slowly add the oil, apple butter, and hot water and vanilla. [...]
by Suzanne on March 12, 2012
This is really going to be a surprise for Heather, the lady whose blog I received for my Secret Recipe Club assignment this month. You see, last month Heather from over at Healthy With Heather was orphaned for SRC reveal day and so I volunteered to make a dish from her blog and made Southwestern Chicken Tortilla Stew. Having NO idea at the time that she would be my assignment for March. Then, when I saw her blog was mine for March, I was thrilled. Heather is a health-conscious, pregnant, 20-something who has a love of all things “fitness”.
