Hot Chicken Salad and Nutter Butter Ghosts

This summer I joined up with the My Girl Paula cooking group and have cooked and indulged in at least 16 Paula Deen recipes. Sadly, those 16 recipes have stuck with me, if you know what I mean. We all know that Paula's recipes are not kind to the waistline. It is for this reason that this will be my last post with the My Girl Paula group. I will still be following along and may cook up an occasional Paula treat, but the main focus is going to be on cooking lighter (with a few exceptions, of course).

This week at My Girl Paula there was no chosen recipe. We were able to choose any recipe we wanted. I chose to go with Paula's recipe for Hot Chicken Salad, which allowed me to finish cleaning out my refrigerator. I remembered making this recipe several years ago and having mixed feelings about it. Back then I used sauteed and cubed up chicken and this time I used leftover rotisserie chicken. After trying the version made with rotisserie chicken I can easily say that this is the only way you should make this recipe. The texture was just so much better and this recipe was delicious! We really liked it, and I will definitely be making it again.....someday. If you really want to indulge, this is a quick, comforting and very tasty recipe packed with crunchy and creamy goodness.

Hot Chicken Salad - adapted from Paula Deen & Friends by Paula Deen
2 cups cooked chicken breast meat, cubed (use rotisserie chicken, if possible)
1-1/2 cups diced celery (my hubby doesn't like celery, so I added peas)
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (do not skip this,, it was my favorite part of the recipe)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated onion
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup crushed potato chips
Note: We love garlic, so I added 1 big clove of garlic
Note: I baked mine in an 8x8 baking pan

Preheat the oven to 375F. Paula says to spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with vegetable oil, but I don't really think you need to. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, celery (or peas), almonds, salt, onion, pepper, lemon juice, mayo, and cheese. Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spread the crushed potato chips on top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly.

This would be great dish to take along to a party, serve to children, or as part of a family dinner!!

For dessert, I made these cute little nutter butter ghosts. While shopping through the Fresh Market one day, I noticed a package of these little guys and thought they were really cute. Rather than pay $4.95 for about 4 or 5 of them, I decided to try them myself. I didn't really use a recipe. I just melted some white chocolate in a double boiler, dipped the nutter butters in the white chocolate, and then made some ghost eyes using Nutella.


They turned out pretty good, but I did notice a couple of things along the way. Coating just one nutter butter used a lot of white chocolate. In fact, it was probably cheaper to buy them at Fresh Market. My white chocolate mixture was pretty thick and probably needed to be thinned out somehow. Also, the Nutella wasn't the easiest thing to pipe out into eyeballs. In hindsight, I wish I had used mini chocolate chips and a little pair of tweezers. I think that would've been a little easier. I originally wanted to insert the nutter butter onto a popsicle stick and make them into lollipops/suckers. However, the popsicle stick was too wide and just made the cookie fall apart. You could probably use a wooden skewer, but it wouldn't be as easy to hold. They tasted pretty good and the kids loved them. I will probably make them again next year, with a few adjustments. I definitely welcome any suggestions you all might have for improving these little guys.

Happy Monday!!

Crispy Rice Pumpkin Patch Treats for My Girl Paula

This week's My Girl Paula recipe are these cute and kid-friendly crispy rice candy corn treats. A perfect sweet treat for the whole family, with a cute little Halloween twist! Paula's recipe called for candy corn, but my daughter isn't crazy about candy corn. I decided to use the little pumpkins instead, leaving them whole. Never again will rice crispies be plain. The recipe is really easy and makes a 9x13" pan full of rice crispy treats to hand out to all the kids in the neighborhood. Perfect to take along to a Monday night girl scout meeting!

We took my in-law's to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch yesterday and it was a fabulous time. Despite the unseasonably cold weather, it had finally quit raining long enough to enjoy some time outdoors. Kentucky is home to a lot of tobacco farms and it is no secret that the tobacco farmers are having a hard time right now. We are so happy to have Evans Orchard here in Georgetown. The Evans family used to be tobacco farmers, but were able to convert their farm to a apple orchard, cider mill, and pumpkin patch. It is a huge attraction each fall and this year they offered a season pass for families. Since we live so close, we took advantage of the season's pass this year and have probably been at least eight times already. I thought I would share some pictures that we took this season.
Queen of the Straw Castle

My husband, Tony, and two kids in the rat racers.
I hope you all have the chance to get outdoors and enjoy the fall season!!

Mini Mummies *A Halloween Treat* for My Girl Paula

This month for My Girl Paula, we are going to be making some of Paula's Halloween treats. This week's choice was Mini Mummies, a hot dog wrapped in pie dough (or crescent dough, in my case). The kids really like them and they can pretty much wrap them and cook them all on their own. My eight year old daughter had a blast wrapping up these hot dogs. You can find the recipe here.

We served these little Greenie Meanies on the side, which turned out pretty cute. They are made pretty easily using two slices of green apple, peanut butter, and sliced almonds. You can cut various scary teeth patterns into the apple slices to create your own look. My creativity is limited, so I did a simple design. They turned out good, and reminded me of how good apples are with peanut butter- yum :D
Later on, we decorated our Halloween tree. I had an old green ficus tree laying around the house. Apparently, in addition to bouncing off the walls, kids also enjoy tearing apart plastic trees. My poor green tree had seen it's last life and it was time to do something with it. I decided to spray paint it black, decorate it with garland, and hang ornaments on it. The whole craft was a "learning experience", but I think it turned out cute and hopefully we can have it for the next couple years. Surprisingly, none of the kids are messing with the Halloween Tree. Apparently plastic green trees are much more fun to tear apart than a Halloween Tree!!?? Sometimes kids just don't make any sense, do they?
I won this award from Kathy of Three on Food. Thank you Kathy! I love your blog too! In fact, I am really enjoying everyone's blog lately. I'd like to share this award with everyone :D Sometimes it is to hard to pick just two people to pass it on to!

The rules of this award are to answer the questions with one word answers. I'm going to try...well, maybe not. I can never stop babbling....it's a real issue of mine.

Where is your cell phone? hopefully far away - I don't like the thing.

Your hair? needs cutting

Your mother? best friend

Your father? my hero

Your favorite food? pasta & chocolate

Your dream last night? moved to Colorado and got a job in an office
Your Favorite Drink? Iced Tea

Your dream/goal? A huge trip around the world

What room are you in? living room

Your hobby? Cooking and blogging

Your fear? Bugs

Where do you want to be in 6 years? Yikes....I'll be 40!! I can't think that far ahead.

Where were you last night? apple orchard and pumpkin patch

Something you aren't? Organized

Muffins? sometimes

Wish list item? great pair of black boots

Where did you grow up? Ohio *the heart of it all*

Last thing you did? made sesame noodles

What are you wearing? yoga pants and t-shirt

Your TV? is not on

Your pets? two children are enough to take care of, right?

Your friends? like sisters to me

Your life? ls a good mix of chaotic and relaxing

Your mood? happy

Missing someone? My dad and friends who live in Ohio

Vehicle? Chrysler Pacifica

Something you're not wearing? Bra -can't stand those things!

Your favorite store? Are you kidding me? All of them!

Your favorite color? right now it is anything pumpkin colored

When was the last time you laughed? just a minute ago

Last time you cried? not sure

Your best friend? I have known them since I was 5.

One place that I go over and over? the laundry room :D

One person who emails me regularly? Amazon

Favorite place to eat? San Francisco, Las Vegas, any major city

Squash Casserole for My Girl Paula

This squash casserole was heaven on a plate! I am happy to say that Paula's squash casserole was one of my suggestions for this month's My Girl Paula recipes. This time of year, squash is everywhere in abundance. Plus, it is super cheap and tastes delicious. I am inhaling it right now as a write this post and I am wishing that I would have made more!! The squash, onion, cheese and ritz cracker really come together to make one flavorful dish. This is a absolute repeater recipe. In fact, it might be my very favorite Paula recipe to date!! If you love squash, you will be super excited about this recipe, I promise.

On another note, food blogging can be known to cause "strange" behavior. Like making squash casserole for breakfast because the recipe is due to post today!! I know that all food bloggers know what I'm talking about, but my family thinks I've lost my mind. I am one of those people who need deadlines, otherwise some things just never come to pass. I am so glad the deadline came about for this squash casserole today, it was a delicious breakfast.


Squash Casserole - The Lady & Sons Too by Paula Deen
2 cups cooked mashed yellow squash
2 cups Ritz cracker crumbs
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup shredded cheese, such as Cheddar or Swiss
1 cup chopped onion
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
pinch of sugar
6 tablespoons butter

Place the squash in a large bowl. Add the cracker crumbs, milk, cheese, and onion, and stir well. Stir in the eggs, salt, pepper, sugar, and butter, and pour into a greased 1-quart casserole. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Notes: I actually quartered the recipe and it turned out fabulous. The recipe was somewhat vague. I wasn't sure how to cook or mash the squash. I ended up softening the squash with a little bit of butter in a skillet on the stove. Once it was softened, I mashed it up with a spoon, leaving some texture. I also cooked the chopped onions with the squash, because I didn't want the onion to be raw in the casserole. I didn't have evaporated milk, so I used regular milk with fab results. I had some 5 year aged cheddar in my refrigerator from my favorite cheese shop. It added a delicious flavor to this recipe. Because I quartered the recipe, it reduced the egg to 1/2 egg. I used the egg white and tossed the egg yolk. I had to do my part in making the recipe healthier - ha ha!! Also, the recipe doesn't say how to add the butter into the casserole. I chose to soften mine in the microwave and stir it into the mixing bowl with the other ingredients.

Head on over to My Girl Paula where you can see a list of all the members and find out how they liked this casserole. Better yet, join up and cook along with us!! If you chose to play along, it wouldn't hurt to stock up on butter :D

Corn Chive Pudding for My Girl Paula

Corn chive pudding was this week's selection for My Girl Paula, a club dedicated to cooking recipes from Paula Deen. I was a little worried about serving this pudding to a family of corn purists. We usually like to eat our corn on the cob, fried, grilled or just plain with a little butter. However, I decided to have faith in Paula and get to work. I halved the recipe below to serve 4 and had this put together in no time at all.

The addition of eggs and milk make this corn chive pudding a little reminiscent of a quiche. The green color of the chives is striking against the background of the yellow corn pudding. This is a beautiful recipe that was enjoyed by all and would be great as part of a special family celebration or as part of a holiday dinner. I will definitely be making this again over the holiday season. Additionally, it would be a great casserole/potluck dish.

Corn Chive Pudding - The Lady & Sons, Too by Paula Deen *serves 8*
Two 10-oz packages frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter, cooled
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract *don't be afraid to add this, you won't really taste it in the dish*
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 1-1/2 quart baking dish. In a food processor, pulse half of the corn until coarsely chopped; transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the remaining corn and sprinkle with the sugar and salt; stir to combine. Whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, chives, flour, and vanilla, and combine with the corn. Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake in the center of the oven until the center of the pudding is just set, about 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake for My Girl Paula

Chocolate chip pound cake is this week's recipe for My Girl Paula. I have really been a little too indulgent lately, and wasn't really looking forward to this recipe. In fact, I've actually gained about 5 pounds in the past month and this is not a trend that I wish to continue. So, with recipients in mind, this cake was baked and distributed accordingly. (Okay, okay...yes I did indulge in a piece first). The rest of the cake was sent to my mom and my mother-in-law for Grandparent's Day. After delivering the cake, I went to work (very hard work selling bath bombs) and I got out the tester below.


You know it's a bad day when any of us break out the Silky Underwear dusting powder. It can only mean one thing......chafing thighs!! Ugh, not a girl's best friend!! I headed straight for the Silky Underwear and went into the stockroom. I meant business! Who can work 8 hours with chafing thighs, not me!! Anyway, the girls suggested I buy this product. Can you believe that? It was as if they felt I was going to continue using this powder. I mean really! Who do they think they are? Please.....I would probably replace my skirts with pants before I would be caught dead buying this powder : )

Chafing thighs aside, Paula's chocolate chip pound cake was good. I can't tell you that it was my favorite or even that I would make it again, but it was enjoyable. The recipe calls for a butter recipe cake mix, a vanilla pudding mix, and a chocolate pudding mix. It is a very moist and dense cake with bits of chocolate chips running through it. Paula suggests topping it with confectioner's sugar or chocolate sauce. Once again, I found a way to make Paula's recipe more decadent, topping it off with vanilla ice cream and homemade chocolate sauce.

This was a very easy cake to throw together and if you are looking for a moist, dense, chocolaty cake then this would fit the bill.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake - The Lady & Sons, Too - by Paula Deen
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package butter recipe cake mix
One 3.4 oz. pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
One 3.4 oz. pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6-ounces chocolate chips
Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a tube pan or bundt pan. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, water, and vanilla by hand. Stir in the cake mix and pudding mixes. Slowly add the butter and oil, and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes (mine baked about 70-80 mins). Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cake plate. Sift confectioner's sugar over the cake, or drizzle with chocolate sauce, if desired.

I also received this award from Kay of Cooking with K. Thanks Kay! Kay is a great blogging friend who also participates in the My Girl Paula group. As part of the award, I am to share seven things about myself.

1- I am an only child and was also an only grandchild on both sides.
2 - I wanted to be a chef when I was in high school and went to school for business instead.
3 - I really wish I had went to culinary school and one day hope to.
4 - I sometimes cook out of a box. Kraft macaroni & cheese is a big hit around here.
5 - I don't like the word "hate". I think it is a very nasty word.
6 - I really dislike doing the dishes, whether or not a dishwasher is involved.
7 - I believe in the golden rule "treat others the way that you want to be treated".

I want to share this award with everyone who reads my blog!! If you want to play along, copy the award and share seven fun things about yourself! Thanks again Kay : )

Final Oikos Greek Yogurt Post & Strawberry Pretzel Salad for My Girl Paula

I want to start off by announcing the winner of the "Pitch Your Own Food Network Show" contest. Congratulations Pam of Sidewalk Shoes! Pam is the random winner of three Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics products: Ocean Salt (an exfoliating scrub for face & body), Lemony Flutter (a lemony cuticle cream), and Up You Gets (a citrusy shower aromatherapy product). Pam's concept for a food network show was to feature a selected herb for each show, making an appetizer, main course, and dessert. Great idea Pam!

Secondly, this week's My Girl Paula recipe is Strawberry Pretzel Salad. This salad is somewhat like a pie. It is made with a pretzel crust, a cream cheese layer, and topped with strawberries and strawberry jello. This is a recipe that I have ate before and enjoyed, especially in the summertime. It is a good dish to take to a summer potluck. Paula's version also includes crushed pineapple, but I didn't have any so I left it out. We enjoyed this recipe for it's salty and sweet flavors. You can find the recipe here.

Lastly, this is my last week of posting recipes for Oikos Greek Yogurt. A big thanks to Kristina at Stonyfield for sending me such a generous pack of coupons! I was able to try my hand at a variety of recipes. The first week I made Martha's Date Bran Muffins and Tyler's Greek Yogurt. The second week, I made the Food Network's Almost-Famous frozen yogurt. The following week, I made an Apple-Walnut Turkey Sandwich , using the Greek yogurt in place of mayo as a sandwich dressing. Last week, I made these decadent looking Loaded Mashed Potatoes , using the Greek yogurt to replace the sour cream.

This week I have two recipes for you! You simply can't feature Greek yogurt and not do a smoothie recipe. It just wouldn't be right! As a tribute to summer, I have chosen two of my favorite summertime fruits, the peach and the raspberry, and combined them into one smoothie; The Peach Melba Smoothie. It was super delicious, unique, and healthy.

Peach Melba Smoothie - courtesy of Recipezaar, adapted by me
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup frozen peaches
1 cup low-fat milk
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 frozen banana (optional)

Whisk in a blender and serve.

This smoothie was thick, like a milkshake, creamy, refreshing, cold and best of all....different from the same old strawberry-banana smoothie. You can even add a tablespoon of wheat germ if you like.
I did try one more recipe with the Greek yogurt that is really unique! At work, we have face masks made with yogurt. Yogurt is terrific for your skin as it smoothes, pampers, moisturizes and tightens your skin. It will remove traces of dirt, pollution and makeup from pores. You can use plain yogurt, or even blueberry, strawberry or honey. It all depends on your skin type. Any fruit, such as blueberries or strawberries acts as an antioxidant removing dead skin and revealing new and glowing skin. Here is a basic recipe for a face mask using Greek yogurt, or even regular yogurt:

Dry Skin - 1 Cup yogurt
1 Tablespoon honey (honey brightens skin and retains moisture)

Oily Skin- 1 Cup yogurt
Couple drops of lemon (acid cuts excess oil on skin)

* Leave the mask on for about 30 minutes and rinse off!

Now onto the giveaway!!! Kristina at Stonyfield offered to share more coupons and goodies with a winner!
The winner will receive:
2 FREE 16 OZ. OIKOS COUPONS
4 FREE 5.3 OZ OIKOS COUPONS
$4 WORTH OF STONYFIELD COUPONS
OIKOS SPATULA & RECIPE CARD SET

All you need to do is leave a comment telling me your favorite way to use Greek Yogurt! It's that simple. If you have never used Greek Yogurt, then pick a way that you would like to use it. Giveaway is open to all! Comments will close this Friday at midnight and winner will be pulled in a random drawing, which will be announced this Saturday morning! Good luck : )

Milky Way Cupcakes for My Girl Paula

Run, don't walk, to the kitchen and make this cake! It's that good! I made these little cupcakes today and I am already guilty of eating two of them!! This Milky Way cake/cupcakes is this week's recipe for My Girl Paula, a group who is cooking recipes from Paula Deen's Lady & Sons Too cookbook. I knew the recipe would be good, but I didn't know it would be SO DARN DELICIOUS!!

The cake has a melt in your mouth quality (probably all that butter) and is quite dense. Both the cake and the frosting have a caramel flavor. I happen to love caramel, especially with bites of chocolate throughout. I am also sharing this information for those of you who might think "milky way cake" sounds like it would be a chocolate cake, which was my initial thought. Paula's recipe calls for pecans in the cake and also pecans in the frosting, but I didn't include them and I am very happy that I left them out. The frosting is cooked on the stove and is very ooey, gooey and sticky. It is kind of a buttercream meets a fudge. It is a little on the runny side(see pics above & below) when first applied to cupcake/cake, but will harden as it sits.



This is probably the most fattening of all Paula's desserts. There are 3 sticks of butter in the actual cake, and another stick of butter in the frosting. This is part of the reason why I left the pecans out, but I also enjoy a smooth cake and frosting. In addition to all this butter, there are 8 whole milky way bars in the cake. This is not for someone watching their waistline, unless they want a total indulgence! For all these reasons, I chose to make cupcakes again. I like to spread the calories around!!

MILKY WAY CAKE- adapted from Paula Deen's Lady & Sons, Too
Cake:
Confectioners' sugar for dusting pan/or make cupcakes with liners
Eight 1-3/4 oz. Milky War Bars
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter ** Yes, 3 sticks : )
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, well beaten
2 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans, if using

Icing:
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup marshmallow cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
6-ounces chocolate chips -I used milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans, if using
additional Milky Way bars - for garnishing (it adds a wonderful bite to the cupcake)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease 3 9-inch cake pans and dust with confectioner sugar OR make cupcakes and use liners. To make the cake, melt the Milky way bars with 1 stick of butter. Remove from the heat and let cool. Cream the remaining 2 sticks of butter with the granulated sugar. Add the beaten eggs and the cooled chocolate mixture. Sift the flour and the baking soda together. Alternately add the flour and buttermilk to the batter, blending well. Add the nuts and vanilla. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes (Note: I also baked my cupcakes about 30 -35 mins), or until firm to the touch. Cool for 5 minutes, remove from the pans, and place on cooling racks. While the cake cools, prepare the icing: Combine the sugar and milk in a heavy saucepan. Cook to the soft-ball stage (234 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove the pan from the heat and add the marshmallow cream, butter, and chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Add the pecans (optional). When the cake has cooled completely, frost each layer, sides and the top of the Milky Way Cake.

Enjoy a very decadent and extremely indulgent treat!!

Don't forget to vote for the winner of the pitch your own Food Network Show contest here. You can vote by leaving a comment at the end of the post, or by sending an email to tony.tracy@att.net.

Lastly, I was tagged by Sylwia of Unsifted and am sharing the ABC's of me below. If I tag you, and you choose to play along, here are the guidelines:
1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share the ABCs of you.
4. Tag 4 people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let the 4 tagged people know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
6. Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so that there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag.

So...here it goes:
1. A – Available/Single? Married
2. B – Best friend? I have a ton of best friends. My children, my parents, my husband, and my three childhood friends
3. C – Cake or Pie? Pie
4. D – Drink of choice? Diet Pepsi or Diet Coke or Crystal Light Peach Iced Tea
5. E – Essential item you use every day? Chapstick and Lotion (I'm addicted)
6. F – Favorite color? Probably gray, but I love black and white (are those colors?)
7. G – Gummy Bears Or Worms? Gummy Bear
8. H – Hometown? Elyria, Ohio
9. I – Indulgence? Chocolate, Pasta and various bath and body products
10. J – January or February? February - I love Valentine's Day
11. K – Kids & their names? Olivia Faith and Jackson Anthony
12. L – Life is incomplete without? Family and Friends and Food!!
13. M – Marriage date? April 19th - Las Vegas
14. N – Number of siblings? I have no siblings, however my 3 childhood friends are much like sisters to me.
15. O – Oranges or Apples? Apples
16. P – Phobias/Fears? being without my chapstick
17. Q – Quote for today? Butter is better!! (hey, I did cook a Paula recipe)
18. R – Reason to smile? My 2 year old telling me that I'm his favorite person
19. S – Season? Fall/Autumn
20. T – Tag 3 People? Joanne of Eats Well With Others, Libby of Cooking with Libby, CaSaundraLeigh over at A Pinch of This, and a Dash of That
21. U – Unknown fact about me? I can't fix anything that is broken. I give it to hubby.
22. V – Vegetable you don't like? Okra
23. W – Worst habit? Playing with my hair
24. X – X-rays you've had? Lower back x-rays
25. Y – Your favorite food? Pasta, chocolate, bread, peanut butter, biscuits.... I heart Carbs!!
26. Z – Zodiac sign? Virgo - yesterday was my birthday

Vegetable Pancakes for My Girl Paula

We all know that Paula Deen is not known for creating super healthy recipes. However, this recipe might just catch you by surprise-and a pleasant one! I threw these vegetable pancakes together in no time this morning. As I was grating the carrots and zucchini it dawned on me that this recipe could be considered as one of Paula's healthiest. The recipe makes 8 veggie pancakes. I was curious about the calorie content, so I added up each ingredient. Each pancake comes in at 55-60 calories a piece, assuming you use only one tablespoon of vegetable oil. Not bad, Paula!!

These vegetable pancakes are quick and easy to throw together and were delicious! I enjoyed them and will be making them again. I think they are a great side dish or breakfast dish to keep in mind when you are low on ingredients. I would like to try the recipe again and make one large pancake (much like a frittata) and serve it pie-style. One big pancake means that I don't have to stand there doling out batter and flipping pancakes for several minutes. Instead, I can pour it all in at once and be done much quicker. I also think that you could get away with using less oil if you made one large pancake. Additionally, the presentation might be prettier as you could throw some garnishes on the top and let people cut wedges. Just ideas to play around with. Either way, this is a keeper recipe! Try it out, especially if you happen to have all the ingredients on hand!

Vegetable Pancakes - Lady & Sons Too, Paula Deen
*Paula serves hers with sour cream
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 cup grated carrots (about 2 carrots)
1 cup grated zucchini (1 medium zucchini)
2 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used one TBSP-I think you could use less)

In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, beat together the egg, milk, carrots, zucchini, and onions. Add this to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour the batter (I had to spoon it) by tablespoonsfuls into the pan, making a few pancakes at a time. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the remaining oil to the pan as needed. Serve at once.

Another advantage to this recipe is that all these ingredients keep well and you can throw this together for literally pennies. This is an extremely inexpensive lunch, side dish or breakfast.

Thanks Paula!

Blackberry Muffins for My Girl Paula

Have you ever had a blackberry muffin? I haven't, until today! I was so excited to try this recipe simply because I had never heard of a blackberry muffin before. I had a hard time finding blackberries, but finally located some and my search was well worth it!! These blackberry muffins are addictive!! They are super moist, slightly sweet and the sugary topping is delightful!!! I halved the recipe and ended up with 6 large muffins. It will be no problem eating them up this week! If you can find some blackberries, give these a whirl. They are fantastic and unique!!

These muffins are so simple and quick to throw together. I had them whipped up and in the oven in less than 10 minutes! The batter was very thick and the muffins needed about 30-35 minutes to bake instead of the 25 minutes in the recipe.

Blackberry Muffins - adapted from The Lady & Sons by Paula Deen
1 stick melted butter
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs, room temp
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups ( plus 4 teaspoons sugar reserved for sprinkling on top of muffins)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blackberries, or frozen blackberries, thawed and drained

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease eighteen 2-1/2 inch muffin tins or line them with paper or foil liners. In a bowl, stir together the butter, milk, and eggs. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, 1-1/4 cups of the sugar, the baking powder, and the salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk mixture all at once; stir until blended. The batter will be lumpy; Do no overmix. Fold in the berries. Divide the batter among the prepared cups and sprinkle the remaining 4 teaspoons of sugar over the batter. bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden.

Delicious and Easy!! Head on over to My Girl Paula to see how the others enjoyed this recipe. Or, better yet, sign up and join us!! Next week we are making Paula's vegetable pancakes!!

Black Bean Dip for My Girl Paula

This is my third recipe for My Girl Paula, and it was delicious! In fact, I made it again a couple of days later. It really hit the spot! I have to admit, I haven't had Velveeta cheese in many years. But, I stuck with the recipe and made the dip with Velveeta cheese. This dip was flavorful the night it was made, but even better the next day.

A couple of days later, I made this dip again without the Velveeta cheese. I added 4 oz. of cream cheese instead of the Velveeta and I liked this version even better. I'm tempted to make this dip again, but there is such a thing as too much beans ; )

Black Bean Dip - Adapted from The Lady & Sons, Too! -Paula Deen
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped onions
One 4-oz. can green chiles, chopped
1 tomato, diced *I used 1/2 cup salsa*
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon The Lady's House Seasoning
One 15 oz. can black beans with jalapenos
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
4-ounce block Velveeta Mexican cheese product, diced
1- 3 oz. package cream cheese, diced

Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the green chiles, tomato, cilantro, and House Seasoning, and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the beans and cheeses, and simmer until hot and bubbling. Serve hot with white-corn tortilla chips.

Hummingbird Cupcakes for My Girl Paula

Years ago I lost my copy of The Lady & Sons, Too! at the grocery store. It was a much-loved copy complete with food stains, dog-ears, and hand-written notes. I left it in the grocery cart during checkout and apparently someone else took it home. When I discovered there was a blogging group called My Girl Paula, I knew it was time to join and repurchase the book. I am so excited to say that I was able to purchase a copy of the book for just $.79 from Amazon! The book and shipping were only $4.29 and I couldn't have been any happier!

Last week, we made basil grilled chicken, which was fabulous, and a total keeper! This week, we are making Paula's Hummingbird Cake, which I made into cupcakes! If you've never had Hummingbird Cake before, then you are seriously missing out! These cupcakes were delicious! The cake is full of chopped pecans, mashed banana, and crushed pineapple. Add the cream cheese frosting and you are in heaven! My husband gave these his top rating, along with my in-law's, and all the girlies at work!! Thanks Paula!

Hummingbird Cake- adapted from Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons, Too!

Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1-3/4 cup mashed bananas
One 8-oz. can crushed pineapple, with juice
1 cup chopped pecans
1-1/2 tsps. vanilla extract

Frosting:
One 8-oz. package cream cheese, at room temp
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temp
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans (For cupcakes use cupcake/muffin liners or grease and flour cupcake pans) For the cake, in a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the eggs and oil and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not beat. Stir in the banana, the pineapple and its juice, the pecans, and the vanilla.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 23-28 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. (For cupcakes, this recipe made 24 cupcakes which were baked for 25- 30 minutes). Cool the cake layers in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.

While the cake cools, make the frosting: In a bowl, blend together the cream cheese and butter. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in the pecans, or reserve them to sprinkle over the frosted cake. Fill and frost the cake.

Head on over to My Girl Paula to see how others enjoyed this cake. Next Monday, we will be making Paula's Black Bean Dip!

Basil Grilled Chicken for My Girl, Paula

I recently joined the group My Girl, Paula! This is a great group of gals who are cooking with Paula Deen recipes each week. There is a new recipe each week and let me tell you.....they all sound wonderful. This week, the recipe was Basil Grilled Chicken. I knew instantly that I would like this chicken recipe and set out to find some basil. I can speak from experience when I tell you that basil and other fresh herbs are hit and miss in my small town. However, I ran to the grocery early in the morning and was thankful to find some.

The recipe is for 4 chicken breasts, or one pound of chicken. You simply make a mix of minced basil and melted BUTTER. We all know Paula loves her butter!! You brush the melted butter and minced basil on the chicken and begin to grill. While the chicken is grilling you baste it with another mixture. Are you ready for it???? Yes, the second mixture for basting has yet MORE BUTTER!! However, it also has more basil, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. I don't think I used the same amount of butter, but the dish was so flavorful!! The chicken was moist, flavorful, and had an intoxicating smell. It reminded me of an grilled Italian chicken that I would pay big money for while dining out!! In fact, my husband even liked it and he dislikes basil!! Way to go Paula!! This dish is rated 5 stars on the food network and I have to agree. It is definitely a keeper dish that I will be repeating soon. I am already craving it!! You can find the recipe here.

Thank you everyone with My Girl, Paula for letting me be a part of the group. I really loved this first recipe!!

Please head over to the My Girl, Paula site to check out what everyone else thought of this dish. Next week we will be making Paula's Hummingbird Cake- Yum!