Cookie Monster Cupcakes

You'll need:
Cupcakes
Frosting
Food coloring
Star tip and pastry bag
Cookies such Chips Ahoy cut in half (I used fresh baked but they were just too soft)
Chocolate Chips
Neco Wafers or White disc candy such as white chocolate melts (use the flat side)

1. Cut a slit into the cupcake.
2. Insert cookie
3. Start icing with star tip.
4. Attach the chocolate chips (pupils) to the white disks by "gluing" together with a dab of frosting.
5. Stick the eyes down into the cupcake.
Done!

Banana Butter

 

Great for PB&J or as an apple slice dipper.



Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 2 to 4 tablespoons peanut butter, depending on how pb-y you like it (or almond, cashew, walnut butter, etc.)

Put in your blender and blend till smooth and creamy. Enjoy!

Biscuit Donuts

As the men say, these should be illegal. lol

Ingredients

• Peanut oil or vegatable oil
• ground cinnamon
• sugar
• confectioners' sugar
• 2 cans large buttermilk biscuits

Heat 2 inches oil in a large pot to 350 degrees F.

In a shallow bowl, stir together the ground cinnamon and sugar and set aside. Put the confectioners sugar in another bowl.

Lay out the biscuits on a cutting board and with a 1 1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out a hole from the middle of each biscuit or you can do like I did and just poke your finger through it. Fry them in the oil until golden and then flip with tongs to fry the other side. Drain on paper towels and then toss in the cinnamon-sugar or confectioners sugar.

Double-Smoked Citrus Ham

A few years ago my Mom bought me plank cooking kit that had planks and a cookbook. One of the best recipes is this amazing ham. I couldn't happen to find my plank so I put the ham on a cookie sheet wrapped in foil.

Ingredients

1  3 to 5 pound fully-cooked picnic ham

1 cup brown sugar

juice from 1 lime

1 can crushed pineapple

1 plank soaked in orange juice or water.

Score ham and rub with brown sugar, let sit 10-15 min. Drain pineapple juice, replacing with lime juice. Coat ham with pineapple and lime mixture. Place on prepared plank. Cover ham loosely with foil. Grill or bake 350 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until ham reaches an internal temp of 110.

Fruit Pizza

We needed a way to get more fruit into our diet. Why not dessert?

Ingredients

• 1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• kiwi
• peaches
• fresh strawberries 
• any fresh fruit you want to add                   
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Slice cookie dough and arrange on greased pizza pan, overlapping edges. Press dough flat into pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. In a large bowl, soften cream cheese, then fold in the whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust. You can chill for a while at this point, or continue by arranging the fruit.
3. Begin with strawberries, sliced in half. Arrange in a circle around the outside edge. Continue with fruit of your choice, working towards the middle. If bananas are used, dip them in lemon juice so they don't darken. Then make sauce to spoon over fruit.
4. In a saucepan, combine sugar, salt, corn starch, orange juice, lemon juice and water. Cook and stir over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat, and add grated orange rind. Allow to cool, but not set up. Spoon over fruit. Chill for two hours, then cut into wedges and serve

Tilapia Parmesan

One of our favorite dinner recipes. Simple, quick, and delicious! Goes great with Macaroni and Cheese.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• 2 pounds tilapia fillets

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350. Grease a pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Bake a few inches from the heat for 5 or so minutes. Flip the fillets over and bake for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Bake for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.              

Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips

These are for dipping in the fruit dip recipe I have posted.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

6 (10 inch) flour tortillas

 Spray canola-oil

Use pizza cutter to cut tortillas into chip size pieces. Mix cinnamon and sugar together. Spray chips with canola-oil then sprinkle chips with seasoning. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.