Carmelitas

This recipe for Carmelitas from Lulu the Baker has made its rounds on Pinterest several times and so I figured I should give it a try. It looked easy enough and I had some caramels left over from when I made Samoa brownies. I was able to make this during another one of my baby girl's naps because it was pretty easy to make. And they came out ooey-goey delicious and so easy to make. I'll definitely be making these again.

9.5 ounces (about 32 squares) caramel
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

2) In a small microwave safe bowl, place caramel and cream and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and return to microwave in 30 second increments until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.

1) In a large bowl, stir together melted butter, sugar, flour, oats and baking soda until well combined. Pat half of the mixture on the bottom of an 8x8 pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

2) Remove pan from oven and top with chocolate chips. Pour caramel over chocolate chips. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over chocolate chips. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Boston Cream Icebox Cake

Have you ever heard of an Icebox Cake or Refrigerator Cake or No-Bake Cake? They're different names, but are all the same. I've heard of them, but I can't say I've ever had them. One of my nieces had mentioned that she wanted to make a Refrigerator Cake one day and I finally asked her what it was. She described it as crackers layered with a filling or some sort of custard and then refrigerated overnight for the crackers to soak up the custard. I decided to pass it up because I'm not a big fan of soggy crackers. Its textural thing. But then I've been seeing different versions of them all over Pinterest and it piqued my attention. So I decided to give this recipe a shot for a No-Bake Boston Cream Pie Strata from The Kitchn.

I used my Vanilla Pudding as the filling for this Icebox Cake. This dessert came out quite good, to my surprise. And it was so easy to make. The graham crackers turned into to this moist cake. Who would've thought that I would end up loving soggy crackers??? I may try the other versions of no bake desserts. Stay tuned.....

2 sleeves of Graham Crackers
2 cups prepared vanilla pudding
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. milk
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1) Line the bottom of an 8x8 inch pan with graham crackers, breaking them in half if necessary to fit the pan. Pour 1 cup of prepared vanilla pudding on top of the graham crackers. Place another layer of graham crackers and pour the remaining vanilla pudding. Place a final layer of graham crackers on top and set aside.

2) In a small saucepan, melt butter with the cocoa powder over medium-low heat and bring to a light simmer, whisking occasionally for about 1 minute. Whisk in milk and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in confectioner's sugar until smooth. Add vanilla extract. While mixture is still warm, pour on top of graham crackers and smooth with a spatula or hot knife. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to overnight.

Creamy Jambalaya Pasta

This is another recipe I found on Pinterest. It seems as though Pinterest has taken up most of my free time. Whenever I have down time with the baby, I always pick up my handy-dandy iPhone and look at Pinterest to see what other new and interesting recipes I can find. And this recipe was just that.

I love Jambalaya and this recipe from Plain Chicken piqued my attention. I thought it resembled the Jambalaya pasta I sometimes order at restaurants. So I decided to give it a try. Its a really quick and easy recipe and it came out quite good. I lessened the salt a bit from the original recipe, because I thought it was a little too salty for my taste. I also decided to add chicken and shrimp to have a variety of textures in the dish. Its a little less milder than what they serve at the restaurants, but it was, all the same, delicious. Definitely a repeat dish I'll be making whenever I'm in a pinch to cook dinner.

1/2 lb. Farfalle pasta (or any other type of pasta)
1/4 lb. smoked sausage, sliced
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast
1/4 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup white wine
4 Tbsp. tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp. chopped parsley
grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

1) Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2) In a large skillet, cook chicken breast on medium heat with a little oil until no longer pink. Add sausage and cook until browned. Stir in onion and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3) Stir in white wine, making sure to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom. Add shrimp and continue cooking until wine has reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

4) Add Cajun seasoning, paprika, salt, pepper and tomato sauce. Stir in cream and reduce heat to low. Continue cooking until cream is bubbly and has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

5) Add drained pasta and toss with parsley. Serve on a platter, garnished with grated Parmesan.

Avalanche Bars

I absolutely love Pinterest. They have such great ideas, and most importantly, such great recipes. Which is where I found this recipe for my favorite Avalanche Bars from Cookies and Cups.

Avalanche bars are supped up versions of a Rice Krispies treat. I used to buy a lot of these whenever we go Outlet shopping, because that's where we always find the candy shop that sells them. Goes to show you how often I used to go outlet shopping. I don't outlet shop as often anymore, nor do I buy these sweet treats as often. But I sure do miss them. So I was so excited to find this recipe and made them immediately. They taste exactly as I remembered them. These were so easy to make that I was able to whip these up while the baby took her nap. The best part of it was that I spent the same amount of money to make them as it costs to buy one bar at the candy shop. So there was more for me eat. Yum yum!

1 (12 oz bag) white chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1/4 mini chocolate chips

1) Lightly grease a 9x9 pan. Set aside.

2) In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir and continue to melt in 30 second increments until chocolate has melted and is smooth.

3) Stir in peanut butter until well incorporated. Add cereal and stir until well coated. Allow to slightly cool, about 15-20 minutes.

4) Add marshmallows and chocolate chips and stir until well combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly, pressing lightly with the back of the spoon. Do not compact too much as it will become hard once the chocolate sets. Once cooled and the chocolate has set, cut into squares.

Samoa Brownies

So I've been holding out on you guys. I've been MIA for 2 months, partly because I had been on bed rest since the end of March and was put on a strict diabetic diet at the end of my pregnancy. So my menu consisted of boring, protein-filled meals that I didn't need to share on this blog. Not much going on in the kitchen. However, the main reason I have been away was because I had finally given birth to another beautiful baby girl at the end of April. We're all pretty much still adjusting to the new little person in our household, but we couldn't be happier. My eldest daughter is the most excited to finally have a little sister.

I was previously warned that having 2 kids was going to be a lot different than it was when I only had 1. They were right. Aside from my own recovery after giving birth and the sleepless nights, there is so much more to juggle. But because I was so restricted with my diet for the past 2 months, I couldn't wait to get back in the kitchen and eat normally again. And you best believe that I have been saving up a ton of new recipes to try out. I have recently got into Pinterest and found great ideas from there, including this new recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff. It was the first thing I wanted to try out and I'm so glad I did. I love the Girls Scout Samoa cookies. In fact, I tried another version of a Samoas Bar when I first started this blog. So when I saw a brownie version of a Samoa, I had to give it a shot.

I used the brownie recipe from my Salted Caramel Pecan Brownies and they came out so good. You can also use a boxed brownie mix, but you know me and making things from scratch. This recipe was quite easy and I'm definitely going to make these again.

prepared brownie
1 3/4 cups shredded coconut
1 (14 oz) package caramels, unwrapped
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. milk
1-2 oz semi sweet chocolate chips, melted

1) Prepare brownies according to instructions. Cool completely.

2) Preheat oven to 400 deg F. Place coconut on a baking pan. Bake for 2-3 minutes. Stir coconut. Bake for another 2-3 minutes until toasted. Watch closely to ensure it doesn't burn.

3) In a large, microwaveable bowl, add caramels, salt, and milk. Microwave on high for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, about 45-60 second increments. Continue heating until caramel is melted and smooth.

4) Stir in toasted coconut. Spread over cooled brownie. Drizzle melted chocolate chips over brownies and refrigerate for 4-5 hours or overnight. When you're ready to cut, allow to sit at room temperature for about an hour to soften the coconut topping.

Ree Drummond's Meaty Lasagna

So I lied. I promised to post some of the make-ahead meals I've made last month to stock up for the upcoming arrival of my 2nd baby. Well, let's just say that it got quite busy around the house and I got quite lazy. I returned to work after being put on bed rest for 2 weeks and I've lost all my energy to do anything else. However, I still  managed to make a few dishes that I've stocked up in the freezer, including this new recipe from The Pioneer Woman, which she featured on the Food Network one day.

I've been on a search for a great lasagna recipe for quite some time. I really wanted a hearty and meaty lasagna. With this recipe, I think I found what I'm looking for. The recipe was quite easy to make. I doubled the recipe so that I can make multiple small trays to freeze. I baked one of the frozen trays today and it was just as yummy and comforting as when I originally made it last month. My search for a great lasagna has ended.

1 Tbsp. oil
2 lbs. ground beef
1 lb. breakfast sausage
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. salt
10 oz lasagna noodles
1 lb. shredded mozzarella
10-12 fresh basil leaves, cut chiffonade
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten

1) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute ground beef, sausage, and garlic until brown. Drain off the excess fat. Add tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, salt, and black pepper to taste. Stir together well. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add half of the fresh basil and half of the chopped parsley. Stir well.

2) Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions until al dente. Drain noodles and lay them flat on aluminum foil to keep its shape.

3) Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

4) In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, and the remaining basil and parsley.

5) To assemble the lasagna, spread about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture on the bottom of a deep, rectangular baking dish. Lay 4 lasagna noodles, slightly overlapping each other. Evenly spread about half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta cheese. Spoon about 1/3 of the meat mixture over the mozzarella cheese. Repeat process ending with the meat sauce, then topped with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.

6) Bake until hot and bubbly, about 45 minutes.

** To freeze, tightly seal the assembled, unbaked lasagna with plastic wrap. Cover with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake in a preheated 375 deg oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Red Velvet Puppy Chow

My family and I recently went on a trip to Disneyland this past weekend. Because I'm on bed rest, we decided to rent a room at the resort where I can stay while hubby and our daughter have fun at the park. Some have asked me why we even bothered going if I wasn't going to the park. I really wanted to treat our daughter to something special before the new baby arrives in a couple of months. Because it may be a while before we can go back to Disneyland. And she had such a great time. Which is all I could ever ask for.

Before heading out to Disneyland, I wanted to make some snacks to keep me busy while I'm alone in the hotel room. I remember coming across this Red Velvet Puppy Chow recipe from Your Cup of Cake. I love Chex cereal snacks such as Monkey Munch, Lemon Buddies, and the classic Chex Mix. So I was so excited to find a Red Velvet version of these beloved snacks. My batch didn't turn into the signature red color of red velvet as the original recipe did. I think the boxed cake mix I bought may have more cocoa in it. But it still tasted so good. Just be careful when you eat these. Aside it being addicting, they turn your fingers red.

5 cups Chex cereal (corn, rice, or both)
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup prepared cream cheese frosting
1 cup Red Velvet cake mix
1/2 cup powdered sugar
festive sprinkles or M&M's for decoration

1) Place cereal in a large bowl. Place cake mix and powdered sugar in a large freezer bag or large airtight container.

2) Melt chocolates in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until smooth. Be careful not to burn chocolate. Stir in cream cheese frosting. Pour mixture into the bowl of cereal and stir until coated.

3) Transfer cereal into the cake mix and powdered sugar mixture. Shake until well coated. Spread mixture onto a cookie sheet to cool and harden. Stir in decorations. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Baked Sweet & Spicy Buffalo Wings

I've finally found some more time to start updating this blog. Because, frankly, I have no choice nowadays but to work on the computer. You see, I've been put on a 2-week bed rest, which started yesterday. Doctor's orders. If I want me and this baby to be healthy, I have to follow those orders. So in preparation for these next 2 weeks, I was working my butt off in the kitchen, despite it being difficult, to prepare some more make-ahead meals to feed us while I'm incapacitated. I've already made a few dishes from old recipes on this blog, and found a couple of new recipes that I will feature here in the next couple of weeks. I figured blogging would help with the boredom of being on bed rest.

Anyway, before I blog about the make-ahead meals, I had a strange craving from some sweet and spicy buffalo wings in honor of Super Bowl Sunday the other day. Now, everyone knows I'm not much of a sports person. I'll occasionally follow basketball, sometimes baseball (if one of my nephews are playing). Not so much football. But I love the celebration of food that comes with the Super Bowl.

I was watching a show called Homemade in America with Sunny Anderson on the Food Network about a month ago. They were featuring buffalo wings by "Dirty Steve." He made his original wing sauce and also his Carolina Gold Wing sauce, which I gathered was a little more sweet. I like my buffalo wings to be more on the sweet side, rather than the spicy side. So this recipe caught my attention and figured now would be a perfect time to make some wings. The original recipe makes a huge batch of wing sauce, so I've somewhat cut the recipe to a quarter and modified it to what I had on hand and the result were these yummy, sweet and slightly spicy wings that were so finger-lickin' good. The best part of these wings is that they're baked rather than fried. So its a little lighter than your average buffalo wings. I will definitely be making these again.

24 pieces of chicken wings and drummettes 

salt & pepper to taste

garlic powder

onion powder

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Carolina-style BBQ sauce, or any favorite sweet BBQ sauce

1 stick butter, melted

1/4 cup hot sauce, such as Frank's

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1) Preheat oven to 400 deg F.

2) Season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Dredge in the flour. Place chicken pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes.

3) While chicken is baking, combine BBQ sauce, butter, hot sauce, brown sugar and black pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.

4) Once chicken is done baking, place in the bowl of sauce and toss to coat. Serve immediately with blue cheese dressing.