Under The Sea Cupcakes

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Under The Sea Cupcakes

Now that all the little ones are back to school, I thought it would be appropriate to share this fun kid-friendly treat. Aren’t they adorable? I made them a few months ago for my girlfriend’s baby shower, which had an “Under the Sea” theme, and they were really a hit.

I tinted my standard buttercream frosting in hues of light blue and green, and piped on with a Wilton 2D tip to create sea-colored waves on the cupcake. Then I topped them with Swedish Fish, and a few stalks of green and yellow colored sour straws for seaweed.

I ended up finding the sour straws at my local Dollar Tree, as they have the best selection of just about everything when it comes to candy. I was able to find a multi-pack that had hues of greens, yellow, and dark blue that worked out perfectly.

Use whatever flavor of cupcake you like, I stuck with the classics – chocolate and vanilla. These turned out so great, and were so well received that I’m already looking forward to making them again. Would be a great treat to send in with your little one to celebrate their birthday with their classmates.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Under The Sea Cupcakes

24 cooled cupcakes (here’s my favorite recipe)
1 batch buttercream frosting, split in half and tinted to your desired colors
2 packages Swedish fish
2 packages sour straws (blue, green, yellow colors)

Place the colored buttercream frosting in piping bag fitted with a Wilton 2D tip. Pipe half the frosting onto half the cupcakes, then repeat the process with the other half of the frosting and cupcakes. Don’t worry about washing out the bag in between colors, I just refill it. A little blending of the colors is a desirable effect, in my opinion. Or, you could just always do one color too – and skip alot of trouble!

Trim the sour straws into smaller pieces, about 1-2 inches in length.

Place the Swedish fish on top of the frosting, then arrange 3 pieces of sour straw “seaweed” around the fish before serving.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cheesesteaks

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Slow Cooker Chicken Cheesesteaks

Alot has been going on around here lately. A newborn baby, obviously. But also, a new house. We’ve been busy packing up our lives here for the past month, and we’re headed “down the county” for settlement this morning.

We’re taking the family back to where we started, Chincoteague Island. It’s a great house (that’s not cut up all funny as many old Eastern Shore homes are), with plenty of room for this growing family. A huge kitchen with three times the cabinet and counter space I currently have here. It was Jon’s best friend’s house growing up, in fact – Jon even drove a few nails into it when Ron (said best friend’s father) was building it. So, needless to say – we’re already feeling an emotional attachment to the place before we even move in.

Naturally, I also have many emotional attachments to this house. I brought all my babies home to this house, Christmases, Halloweens, first days of school, birthday parties, and neighborhood cookouts. I pretty much learned to cook (for real reals) in this house. Jon taught himself how to brew in this house. So many great memories here! I’ll miss our neighbors, fireflies (they don’t have fireflies on Chincoteague Island – the amount of salt in the air, maybe?) my lush backyard teeming with flowers from bulbs that were planted 50 years before we moved here, my fig trees, and my kitchen that we revamped. But, we’ll have a new version of those things in our new home, except the fireflies – and I’m excited about that.

house

Needless to say, dinner preparation has kind of fallen by the wayside the past couple weeks with everything getting packed up and whatnot. That’s where a slow cooker can come in handy! Now, I know most folks don’t associate a slow cooker with the summer months. But, it’s very versatile for preparing delicious meals year-round. And, it won’t heat up the house the way an oven does!

This takes just a few minutes to throw together, and the results at dinnertime are absolutely delicious. I seasoned chicken breasts (next time I’ll try boneless thighs in the mix as well) and seared them off, then sauteed some peppers and onions. Threw it all in the slow cooker with a bit of chicken broth and let it cook all day. At dinner time, I just shredded the chicken and threw it on some sub rolls, added some provelone cheese and toasted them in the oven for a few minutes.

They were delicious, satisfying, and super duper easy. The leftover filling was k-i-l-l-e-r in a quesadilla the next day for lunch. I know we’ll be making this one again very soon!

I know I’ve been slack on posts lately, but just bear with me. The slackage will probably continue through next week, until we get internet arranged in the new house, and my studio set up. Until then, later Pocomoke – it’s been real! Thanks for giving me such a great spot to call home and raise this little family of ours for 7 years!

Slow-Cooker Chicken Cheesesteaks

2 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried thyme
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red or orange pepper, sliced
1 large white or yellow onion, peeled and sliced into half moons
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Sliced provolone
sub rolls
olive oil

In a small bowl, combine the paprika, pepper, salt, garlic powder, coriander, red pepper flakes and thyme.

Sprinkle the chicken with 3/4 of the spice mix, coating well on all sides.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and brown well – about 4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken to slow cooker insert.

Add some additional oil to the pan if necessary and add in the peppers and onions, as well as the remainder of the spice mixture. Saute until just starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Off heat, and pour the pepper mixture into the slow cooker on top of the chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred into pieces. Set aside.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the peppers and onions to a plate. Pour out all the liquid into a bowl or liquid measure.

Place the chicken, peppers and onions back in the slow cooker and toss. Pour in enough liquid to keep the chicken moist (but not soggy) – about 1/4 cup to start and add as needed. Keep the slow cooker on warm or low until ready to serve.

Toast the buns under the oven broiler. Place chicken and peppers on each half of a bun and top with Provolone cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted and slightly bubbly. Serve warm.

Source: Adapted from Food Family & Finds via Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Chicken Paillards w/ Tomato-Olive Salad

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Chicken Paillard with Tomato-Olive Salad

I don’t know about where you guys call home, but it’s definitely starting to warm up around here. I try to keep the A/C off as long as I can, have the windows open – we live in an old home that gets great cross-breezes. On those evenings a really light dinner is a welcome change, not to mention one that can be cooked outside on the grill, to not add any more unwanted heat to the house.

This is another recipe that I came across and tried in the second edition of the Sopranos cookbook. I can just envision Carm, Rosalie, and Adriana sitting around gabbing over something at Vesuvios eating something similar to this. It’s doesn’t really get simpler – basically, a grilled seasoned chicken breast that’s served with a quick salad tossed with a vinaigrette on top.

Figure-friendly, yet still tons of flavor and delicious. Fills you up without bogging you down. And, is super quick. All of those things are welcome in the summer months around here!

Chicken Paillards with Tomato-Olive Salad

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp fresh thyme or basil, chopped

For the salad:
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and ground black pepper
6 cups salad greens
2 ripe medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup black olives(such as Gaeta or Kalamata), pitted and coarsely chopped

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Place a chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound the chicken until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with remaining chicken. Place the pieces in a bowl and toss them with the oil, thyme, salt, and pepper.

In a large salad bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the salad greens, tomatoes, and olives to the bowl on top of the dressing – but do not toss until ready to serve.

Place the chicken breasts on the grill and cook for about 7-9 minutes on each side, depending on their size. You want an internal temperature of 165 and the juices should be clear. Remove from grill and let rest 5 minutes. You could also certainly cook the chicken breasts on a grill pan or skillet inside.

Arrange the chicken on plates. Toss the greens, tomatoes, and olives with the dressing. Place the salad on top of the chicken and serve immediately.

Source: barely adapted from Entertaining with the Sopranos

Black Forest Cheesecake Cupcakes

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Black Forest Cheesecake Cupcakes

You can’t go wrong with cheesecake. Especially cheesecake in cupcake form. These little individual servings are perfect to take to a potluck or cookout. If you manage to get them out of your house before you consume them all!

The base is made from a basic Oreo crust, then filled with a luscious chocolate cheesecake filling. Then they’re baked, cooled, and topped with cherry pie filling and homemade whipped cream. Some chocolate shavings would also do nice for garnish sakes, but I was feeling especially lazy the evening I made these and just enjoyed them without. I didn’t miss them.

I think I might try a spin on this using fresh raspberries when I find them on sale this summer. Or, I bet strawberries would be great too. Have a great weekend everyone!

Black Forest Cupcakes

For the crust:
12 Oreos
1 1/2 Tbsp salted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled slightly
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sour cream

For the topping:
Cherry pie filling
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
Finely chopped or shaved chocolate, for garnish (optional)

To make the crust, preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine the crushed Oreos and butter, mash with fork until the butter is incorporated completely. Divide mixture evenly among 12 paper lined muffin cups, adding a about 1 1/2 Tbsp to each. Press crumbs into an even layer using the bottom of a small glass. Bake in preheated oven 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool while preparing filling.

For the filling, in a small bowl whisk together 2/3 cup granulated sugar, cocoa and salt until no clumps of cocoa remain. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or hand mixer), add cream cheese and cocoa-sugar mixture nd beat on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix until incorporated. Pour in melted chocolate and mix just until combined, then add 1/4 cup heavy cream and sour cream and mix just until combined.

Divide mixture among muffin cups (over crust layer), adding about a 1/4 cup (I used a medium cookie scoop) to each. Bake in 325 degree oven 17 – 20 minutes until centers only jiggle slightly. Remove from oven and allow to cool at room temperature 1 hour, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours.

For the topping, place heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high speed until cream starts to thicken, about 1 minute. Add in the sugar and turn mixer to high, beating until stiff peaks form – another minute or two.

Place whipped cream in a pastry bag and pipe or spread the heavy cream into an even layer over cupcakes then pipe a rim around edge over that layer (or if spreading whipped topping, just create a small well into the center). Spoon about 2 Tbsp of cherry pie filling into the center of each. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Source: adapted from Cooking Classy