Holiday M&M Cookies

These cookies are easy to make with the kids. My boys enjoyed adding M&Ms at the end. We used these cookies to add to our holiday cookie boxes for the neighbors!

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1 Cup Butter, Softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 Cups M&M Candies (I used red and green dark chocolate M&Ms for these holiday cookies)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl cream together sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla extract.
2. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
3. Add 3/4 Cup M&Ms.
4. Drop cookies by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet.
5. Push remaining M&M candies into the top of each cookie (be generous!).
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

Garlic Rosemary Chicken Legs

This is a delicious and easy way to prepare chicken legs.

-6 Chicken Legs (skin Removed)

-1/4 Cup Olive Oil 

-1 tsp Dried Rosemary 

-1/2 tsp Dried Oregano 

-1/2 tsp Garlic Powder 

-Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove skin from chicken and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle the rosemary, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper over the chicken. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until internal temperature reached 165 degrees.

Number of Servings: 6

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 237.8

• Total Fat: 14.0 g
• Cholesterol: 104.0 mg
• Sodium: 305.8 mg
• Total Carbs: 0.5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.2 g
• Protein: 26.3 g

Blueberry Strawberry Muffins

I woke up the other morning with a craving for blueberry muffins, so I shuffled off into the kitchen to whip up a batch for breakfast. It wasn't until I finished mixing the batter that I realized I didn't have enough blueberries. I did, however, have some fresh strawberries, so I tossed them in alongside the blueberries. I topped them off with a brown sugar and cinnamon crumb topping and the result was an extra large, delicious muffin that my family couldn't keep their hands off of. This is easily my favorite muffin recipe.


For the muffins:

- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup of buttermilk
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and chopped

For the crumb topping:

- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter cubed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins or line with muffin liners.

Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl combine vegetable oil, eggs and buttermilk. Mix this with the flour mixture then fold in blueberries and strawberries.

Make the crumb topping by combining the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon, then cut in the butter.

 Fill 12 muffin cups to the top and sprinkle with the crumb topping (do not put too much topping on any one muffin as this may cause them to sink).

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Patriotic Chocolate Berry Cupcakes

I made these red, white and blue topped cupcakes for a 4th of July barbecue, but they would  be a hit at any summer get together!

- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (I use Nestle Choco Bake)
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
- 1 container frozen whipped topping (defrost in refrigerator for 4 hours prior to using)
- 24 strawberries, washed hulled and halved
- 1 pint fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place liners in two 12 cups muffin tins.

In a large bowl whisk together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt until thoroughly mixed.

In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, water, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Whisk into flour mixture until all ingredients are mixed in. Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill muffin cups with approx. 4 Tbls of batter each. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted intp the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from tin and cool on wire racks completely.

Once cooled top cupcakes with whipped topping, strawberry halves and blueberries. I found that the topping melts quickly at room temperature, so I would recommend waiting until you are ready to serve them to top them, or storing them in a cool place until ready to serve. I kept mine in the refrigerator and removed them shortly before serving to allow them to warm up.

Homemade Fried Mozzerella Sticks

I love mozzerella sticks, but I can't stand the freezer taste of the frozen ones sold at the supermaret, which doesn't leave me many options except to order them when we're dining out. So I decided to try my hand at making them myself. This recipe tastes amazing, and it's so easy I'm sorry I didn't try it sooner. Double breading the cheese (dipping it into the egg, then breadcrumbs, then again again, breadcrumbs again) is an absolute must as it keeps the cheese from seeping through the breading.

-16oz block of mozzerella cheese (the refrigerated kind from the supermarket, fresh mozzerella doesn't work well here)
- 2 large eggs
- Flour
- Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs
- Marinara Sauce
- Vegetable Oil for frying




Cut the mozzerella cheese into 1/4" strips. Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs into seperate bowls. Take each strip of mozzerella and dip it first in the flour, then the egg, the breadcrumbs, back into the egg and back into the breadcrumbs. Make sure the cheese is coated well by pressing the breadcrumbs on. Pile the breaded cheese sticks on a plate and place them in the freezer. Freezing the cheese prior to frying helps to stop it from cooking too quickly and seeping out of the breading. While the mozzerella sticks are in the freezer heat the vegetable oil (enough to cover mozzerella sticks) and heat up some marinara sauce to dip them in. Place frozen sticks in the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Remove quickly to avoid overcooking them and remove any that are oozing cheese from the oil immedietly.

Allow to cool slightly and serve with hot marinara sauce.

This is how I made them and they are delicious, but if you are looking for something healthier they can be baked. Just follow the instructions, but instead of heating oil preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the frozen mozzerella sticks on a baking sheet and cook 7-9 minutes, watching closely to make sure the cheese doesn't ooze out of the breading.

This made about 25 mozzerella sticks and we had some leftover so I wrapped them in tin foil and put them in the fridge. The following day I reheated them in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes and they tasted just as good if not better than they had the day before.

Summer Salads - Cucumber and Tomato

Nothing says summer to me quite like a cold, fresh salad. I'm making pulled chicken sandwiches for my in-laws tonight and I wanted something delicious and refreshing on the side, so I dug into my vegetable drawer to see what I could pull together. I decided on a cucmber and tomato salad, two of my son's favorite foods, with a little fresh basil (I'll put fresh basil on just about anything!).

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

- 1 Large Cucumber
- 1 Vine Ripened Tomato
- 2 Tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tbls Balsamic Vinegarette
- Handful of fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic
- Salt & Pepper

Seed and chop cucumber and tomato into a medium bowl. Add EVOO, Balsamic Vinagarette and basil. Chop garlic finely and add to salad. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve cold.