Pot Roast and My First Cheesecake

Hello there. As promised, I have a few recipes to share.

Tis the season to be a hungry-hungry hippo after all hahaha

Both of the following recipes come straight from the book I told you about in this post.

I want to start with the cheesecake... who doesn't love dessert first?

(1001 SHORT, EASY, INEXPENSIVE RECIPES - page 320)
Easy Cheesecake
2 (8oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 9in ready graham cracker piecrust
1 can pie filling of your choice (optional)

Preheat oven to 350degrees

Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs in a bowl. Pour into piecrust. Bake for 40 mins. Cool and serve with any pie filling.

What I changed: Nothing. Just be sure you beat the ingredients well and until smooth and fluffy.

Next time: I want to eat more haha

Did I like it: I seriously loved it!!

(1001 SHORT, EASY, INEXPENSIVE RECIPES - page 259)
Slow Cooker Roast Beef
4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 onions, sliced
1 (3-4lb) chuck roast
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp seasoned salt

Place half of the potatoes and onions in slow cooker. Place roast on top of veggies and add remaining potatoes and onions on top.

Pour 1/2 cup water over meat and veggies and cover. Cook on low for 10-12 hrs or on high for 5-6 hrs.

What I changed: I added and extra potato for a total of 5. I also used more that just 1/2 tsp garlic powder and seasoned salt. I rubbed the seasonings in to each side of the roast before placing in the slow cooker. I also had to add 2 extra coffee mugs full of water because 1/2 a cup wasn't nearly enough (possibly because I have a large oval slow cooker??)

Next time: I want to add carrots and maybe even celery

Did I like it: I sure did! I loooooove pot roast!

XOXOX!

Lily Bean

Hungry-hungry hippo

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes... Need I Say More?

Howdy!

As soon as I saw this cupcake recipe I just knew I would HAVE to make them stat! So they were added to the menu for Christmas.

 

For the batter you will need:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp distilled white vinegar

For the filling you will need:

8oz cream cheese softened

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

Preparing the batter:

Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Combine water, oil, vinegar and vanilla in a small bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients together with the dry ingredients until well blended.

Preparing the filling:

Mix together the cream cheese, egg, and sugar until well blended and then fold the chocolate chips in.

Fill cupcake liners half way with batter and then add a scoop of filling to the center of each one. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

These can be enjoyed plain or topped with frosting.

MMMM mmmm!

I want to make some in a strawberry version next!

XOXOX

Lily Bean

 

Here's some cooling next to the egg nog cookies...

 

Egg Nog Cookies, Where Have These Been All My Life?!?

Hi everyone!

Boy oh by did I get in the baking mood this Christmas!

With all the Christmas movies playing and Christmas songs on my Pandora I couldn't help but let the spirit of Christmas over come me.

I found this wonderful recipe for Egg Nog Cookies and was happy to find that I had everything I needed to make them.

 

 

Here is what you need:

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup eggnog

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

1 tsp nutmeg

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

 

 

Whisk together flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix butter and sugar together. Then add egg nog, vanilla extract, and egg yolks and mix until smooth

Add in the flour mix and mix at a low speed until well combined, but do not over mix.

Make teaspoon size balls of dough and place them about 3 inches apart on a cookie sheet.

I found they came out better when i smashed each dough ball down a bit with the palm of my hand.

Sprinkle them with nutmeg and then bake at 300 for 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. 

 

 

 These cookies are amazing for anyone who enjoys egg nog. They complimented my morning coffee quite well!

 

I was sure to share some with my dear friend and neighbor on Christmas day <3 

 

 

I hope you enjoy these while egg nog is still being stocked in markets. I know I will be buying plenty more egg nog!

 

XOXOX

Lily Bean

 

p.s. Here's the last Christmas outfit I photographed

My shirt says "JUST HOW GOOD DO I HAVE TO BE?"

 

Breaded Parmesan Chicken and Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies

This weekend I was able to get some cooking in. It felt so good being in the kitchen again!

I cooked up some tasty chicken and made some extra yummy cookies. Both are recipes I found on Pinterest.

Just as in real  life, we will get to dessert first!

 

You need:

2 boxes blueberry muffin mix

2 eggs

4 oz cream cheese (1/2 a bar)

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

 

First mix the butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar together. When well mixed and all a cream consistency then add the eggs one at a time and mix well. Add in the muffin mixes and blend together well. Last, fold in the white chocolate chips.



Let the cookie dough chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Drop by tablespoon-ful onto cookie sheet and bake at 325 for 13-15 mins or until edges golden brown. In my experimenting with these for the first time I found that small "tablespoon-ful" dollops worked better than heaping ones and keep dough in the fridge between batches.



Let cool for 2-3 minutes on cookie sheet and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely... that is if they last that long. My family was eating these faster than I could get them out of the oven! And I have already been asked to make more. So yummy!


Now on to the main course! For the Breaded Parmesan Chicken you need:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Poultry seasoning, or seasoning of your choice
extra toasted bread for bread crumbs (not pictured)
and chicken (of course haha). I used boneless skinless thighs



Mix the sour cream and parmesan together iin a small bowl.



Lay your chicken pieces in a baking dish and then cover the top of each of them with the sour cream mix.



Sprinkle seasonings of choice on top of the sour cream and then cover in bread crumbs. Bake at 425 for 45mins to an hour or until chicken is fully cooked.



This was so easy and came out so wonderful! I completely forgot to take a picture until after I went back for seconds.



XOXOX
Lily Bean

My Personal Cookie Challenge

Howdy! In case you haven't noticed, I am a bit obsessed with cookies right now.

I have decided that I want to challenge myself to a new cookie recipe ever weekend this baking season.

I have already made plain chocolate chip, peanut butter, and strawberry oatmeal cookies.

Do you have any cookie recipes you would like to share?

Something you have made? Something you found on pinterest?

I have come across a ton of recipes but would like to know if my readers have any suggestions.

Feel free to comment a link or recipe if you have any ideas.

I look forward to trying them all out, one cookie-baking weekend at a time!

xoxoxo

Lily Bean, Cookie Monster

Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies... Oh My!

Hey there! Well I am a bit slammed with home work and work this weekend but I did make some time for a fresh batch of cookies.

This weekend I made Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies

 My family had mentioned this recipe to me and wouldn't you know it! The strawberries came on sale this week. Lucky me!
You will need:

2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberries

(For me a 1 lb package was 2 cups when chopped)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup regular rolled oats
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a small mixing bowl combine your strawberries with 1/4 cup white sugar and toss gently. Set this aside for later

In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. whisk these all together until they are mixed well. Then add your rolled oats and mix well. Set this aside for later

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup white sugar together. Then add the egg, milk, and vanilla and continue beating until smooth.

Mix in the flour mixture a little at a time. Be sure it is all mixed well and then add in the strawberries. There will be water gathered at the bottom of the bowl. Avoid adding in as much as possible. Do not use a mixer at this point. Use a spatula and fold the strawberries in (so they stay chunky and don't turn to mush).

Drop by the teaspoon full onto a cookie sheet and pop in the over at 375 for 10 mins.

Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 mins before transferring to a cooling rack.

Enjoy the yummy goodness!

xoxoxox

Lily Bean

Yummy Peanut Butter Cookies

Hi there! This weekend I made some peanut butter cookies.

Here is the recipe. I used crunchy peanut butter and it came out great. This household loves crunchy peanut butter =)

This recipe made 2 dozen cookies

What you need:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter softened

1/4 cup shortening

1 egg

1 1/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven at 375

Beat sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, shortening, and egg.

Mix in flour baking soda, baking powder, and salt

Make dough balls about 1 inch wide place 3 inches apart on a cookie sheet.

 

Use fork to smash down making criss cross design  

 

Bake for 10 mins or until golden brown at the edges
 

 

For my second dozen I added 1 semi sweet chocolate chip to each center

 

Oh boy!! These won't last long so enjoy them!

 

Are you ready for Halloween?? I am so excited! I debut a new dress tomorrow =)

 

XOXOXOX

Lily Bean, Halloween Queen

 

 

 

Simple Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hey everyone. Today I stopped working and studying for a moment to bake some cookies.



I have been craving homemade chocolate chip cookies for at least two weeks.
So whipped up a dozen.

  

You will need:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semi sweet choc chips

 

Mix together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until creamy.

Beat in the vanilla and egg.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, and salt and then add this to the main bowl and mix it all together .

Add in the chocolate chips and mix well

 

Scoop heaping tablespoon fulls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper


 

Smash the scoops so they are not round balls.

 

Put in an over at 375 for 13-15 mins or until edges are golden brown

 

Remove promptly to a wire rack to cool.
 

Enjoy!!
 

 

xoxox

Lily Bean Chocolate Chip Queen

back in action, cooking and crafting (for good i hope...)

howdy! well i think i finally cracked out of my rut...

thursday i sewed up an i-can't-say-because-it's-a-suprise (should be able to say in 10 days or so when the package has arrived and been opened) and last night i cooked dinner

felt good to get back on the horse!

when buying produce at the farmer's market i grabbed a tray full of mexican squash just because it was a good price. i have only eaten it one way my whole life and have never used it to cook myself. i had no idea what i was gonna do with them but i guess it took a challenge to get me to make something haha

i went searching for recipes and came upon one of a casserole.

i tweaked it a bit and this is what i came up with

you need:

salt and pepper

1 1/2 lb ground beef

1 tbsp oil

a small onion (i used half of a large onion) chopped bite size

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tsp paprika

3 small/med sized mexican squash (i didn't use the 4th pictured)

1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes in lime juice and clantro

2 cups grated cheddar cheese (you can adjust more or less to your cheesy preference)

 first brown your ground beef. then sautee your squash, onions, and garlic with the tablespoon of oil until tender

add in your browned ground beef, can of diced tomatoes, and paprika

salt and pepper to taste

stir it up well

 transfer it all to a casserole dish

 cover with your shredded cheese

 bake at 400 degrees for 15 mins

mmm mmm yummy!

next time i plan on using a bit more cheese but it was terrific just the same.

i hope you enjoy it as much as me and my family did!

this is my last week of my English and Computer classes then it is 2 weeks off until Fall semester!

until then enjoying summertime and sunshine in my cool new shades!

(polka dot love)

 (pink hello kitty)

 xoxoxoxox

Lily Bean