I inadvertently made Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls, and I'm SO glad I did!

Cinnamon Copy Cat Cinnamon Rolls

Whole Wheat pizza dough from HT

Salted butter Softened

Brown Sugar

Cinnamon

Salt

Pre Heat oven to 375

Grease a glass pie pan

Roll out dough into a rectangle (ehhh about 6-8" wide for minis) and as long as you'd like.  Make sure it's relatively thin.

Spread softened butter alllllll over the rectangle.

Then lay brown sugar on the butter.

Next, generously sprinkle cinnamon on top of that.

Annnnnd a dash of salt, because all sweets are better with salt.

Roll tightly and seal the edge by pinching shut.

Get some dental floss and cut the mini rolls by wrapping the floss around the roll, fold and pull together method.

Lay rolls swirl side up in pan.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, be sure not to over cook them.

Now, use pre-made icing (we used some from Wal-Marts bakery department, the same kind they use on their cakes). Generously dollop on each little morsel and enjoy! 

From our kitchen to yours: Yummy Black Bean Veggie Burgers

1 can no salt added black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup cooked butternut squash or sweet potato
1 handful spinach
1 tbsp flax/chia
1 tsp grilling blend (black pepper, salt, garlic salt)
1/4 cup old fashioned oats

Pulse all in a blender/food processor until combined.

Scoop mixture into 1/4 cup scoops and shape into patties.  In skillet/frying pan, saute burgers in grape seed oil or olive oil (2 tbsp) on medium-medium high for 8 minutes per side or until a crust forms.  Splash with liquid smoke flavoring.

From our kitchen to yours: Cinnamon Sticks

Like the ones you get at a pizza buffet, but better!



1 ball HT whole wheat pizza dough
4 tbsp butter
Cinnamon Sugar - 1 tbsp cinnamon & 1/4 cup sugar
Salt - dash
Oil - a splash (tiny, I used grapeseed oil)

Icing:
Butter - 1 tbsp melted
Powdered sugar - 1 cup (add more to reach desired consistency)
Vanilla - 1 tsp
Milk - splash

Oven at 375°
Melt butter in 9x13 pan in oven.
Take pan out of oven and stretch dough to fit pan then flip dough so both sides are covered in butter. 
Set in hot oven for 2-3 minutes then let rise in microwave while you make cinnamon sugar mix. 

Take cinnamon sugar/butter/oil/salt mixture (resembles wet sand) and spread over dough. Pre-cut the dough into strips in the pan. Cut oven down to 350° bake for 10-12 minutes.

Icing:
Melt 1 tbsp butter, mix in vanilla, powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle over warm cinnamon sticks.

Enjoy!!!

From our kitchen to yours: Shredded Chicken

So I saw this on Pinterest a while ago and had to give it a try.  Like most of you, I am hesitant to say that EVERYTHING I find on Pinterest is great... well this is!

Cook chicken, we were having tacos so these are fully loaded with yummy seasoning!

Place hot, to warm chicken breast directly into your stand mixer with the paddle attached. Lock head into place and turn on medium for 2-3 minutes.

Voila! Perfectly shredded chicken from the pan to the plate! SO EASY!

 

 

I can't wait to try this for homemade chicken salad and other great ideas I come up with!  It was perfect for tacos/fajitas and very easy to do :)

From our kitchen to yours: Turtle Cheesecake

Well, Charles and I finished the last slice of cheesecake last night... so I thought I'd put up the blog post now so I didn't rush home and finish off whatever was left :) 

I got this recipe from Pinterest http://www.momswhothink.com/cheesecake-recipes/turtle-cheesecake-recipe.html

(I think I only changed the crust, one bag of fake oreos, 1 stick of butter) 

But the desire and inspiration came from:

 http://www.atlantacheesecakeco.com/gallery.html

 Sorry no picture but Walmart carries 2 slices of this companies Turtle Cheesecake in the freezer section for less than $2... and it was amazing!

I'm not going to post the ingredients list and stuff, because it's on the link above, but here are some pictures of my creation in the making!

Most of the ingredients

My favorite tool to make cookie crusts!

Pour in the melted butter...

Now it's all combined! Dump it out and put it in the springform pan!

Cookie goodness :)

I use a smaller pan (this was a 6" in a 9" pan) to help evenly spread the crust.

Good ole stand mixer with my favorite scraping beater

Smooth and creamy!

All done! I think mine took about 55 mins to bake (the recipe said 30-40... bah)

I always loosen the cake from the edge with a thin paring knife.

Gotta have the little rim to hold the topping in :)

The finished cheesecake!

Yep, very... VERY yummy! Everyone approved :) Especially baby Brooke!

From our kitchen to yours: 100 Foods to try before you die

So, as you can tell from this blog, and from pictures of me and my hubby... we like to eat! hahaha we tease that we are the "fat" ones of our friends! haha all kidding aside, we love food and exercise.

I stumbled across this list of foods you should eat before you die and decided to see how I matched up in the culinary world.  I like good food, not fussy,  fancy gourmet items, so I don't think I will EVER complete this list.  Check it out and see how many you can cross off :)

Using the list below, count off how many of these 100 foods you’ve already tried. I’ve crossed off the 53 foods that I’ve eaten. What’s your number? I got 46 ... not too shabby :)

1. Abalone
2. Absinthe
3. Alligator
4. Baba Ghanoush
5. Bagel & lox
6. Baklava
7. BBQ Ribs
8. Bellini
9. Birds Nest Soup
10. Biscuits & Gravy
11. Black Pudding
12. Black Truffle
13. Borscht
14. Calamari
15. Carp
16. Caviar
17. Cheese Fondue
18. Chicken and Waffles
19. Chicken Tikka Masala
20. Chile Relleno
21. Chitlins
22. Churros
23. Clam Chowder
24. Cognac
25. Crab Cakes
26. Crickets
27. Currywurst
28. Dandelion Wine
29. Dulce De Leche
30. Durian
31. Eel
32. Eggs Benedict
33. Fish Tacos
34. Foie Gras
35. Fresh Spring Rolls
36. Fried Catfish
37. Fried Green Tomatoes
38. Fried Plantain
39. Frito Pie
40. Frogs’ Legs
41. Fugu 
42. Funnel Cake
43. Gazpacho
44. Goat
45. Goat's Milk
46. Goulash
47. Gumbo
48. Haggis
49. Head Cheese
50. Heirloom Tomatoes
51. Honeycomb
52. Hostess Fruit Pie
53. Huevos Rancheros
54. Jerk Chicken
55. Kangaroo
56. Key Lime Pie
57. Kobe Beef
58. Lassi
59. Lobster
60. Mimosa
61. Moon Pie
62. Morel Mushrooms
63. Nettle Tea
64. Octopus
65. Oxtail Soup Paneer
66. Paella
67. Paneer
68. Pastrami on Rye
69. Pavlova
70. Phaal
71. Philly Cheese Steak
72. Pho
73. Pineapple & Cottage Cheese
74. Pistachio Ice Cream
75. Po’ Boy
76. Pocky
77. Polenta
78. Prickly Pear
79. Rabbit Stew
80. Raw Oysters
81. Root Beer Float
82. S’mores
83. Sauerkraut
84. Sea Urchin
85. Shark 
86. Snail
87. Snake
88. Soft Shell Crab
89. Som Tam
90. Spaetzle
91. Spam
92. Squirrel
93. Steak Tartare
94. Sweet Potato Fries
95. Sweetbreads
96. Tom Yum
97. Umeboshi
98. Venison
99. Wasabi Peas
100. Zucchini Flowers

From our kitchen to yours: White "Mexican" Cheese Dip

mMm okay I LOVE the white cheese dip from Mexican restaurants but, y'all knowing how cheap I am... I HATE to pay for it.  Really it's like $3.50 or more for a tiny bowl, and you can buy it at the grocery store and it's over $4?! REALLY!?  So, one time, when I was at my hometown favorite Mexican joint, I asked them, "What kind of cheese is this? Is it some secret, addicting Mexican delight?" The waiter laughed and told me it was actually, WHITE AMERICAN CHEESE.  

No, I'm not kidding.  Seriously... THIS STUFF

So, I decided to give it a try.  

"Mexican White Cheese Sauce"

1. Unwrap 3 to 4 slices of White American Cheese.

2. Tear cheese into smaller pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl.

3. Microwave on high for 15-18 seconds.

4. Take out, stir, add in a splash of milk.

5. Heat for another 12-15 seconds.

6. Take out, stir, add more milk.

7. You're trying to get a nice, thin melted texture, so keep repeating these steps until you have your desired consistency.

8.  Take bowl in hand, open a bag of chips and enjoy!  

Seriously, THAT EASY! A whole package of white American cheese is less than $3 and you can get about 4-5 batches, or 8-10 servings out of it.  Yeahhhhh, take that expensive cheese dip :) 

From our kitchen to yours

I love sweets! Charles, well, he likes some sweets and he's mighty particular about how and when he eats them.  I saw this recipe for Caramel Toffee Latte Cupcakes over at a blog I read Kevin & Amanda and I had to make them!

Okay, Charles HATES coffee... scratch that.  Ehhh lets use the IDEA of this recipe and make something semi-homemade and "Charles friendly".

You can go to their website above and follow her directions... I didn't, but basically, you need chocolate cupcakes, toffee bits (heath bar), homemade Caramel buttercream, and chocolate to drizzle (I just used left over "can" chocolate frosting).

So here's my home-made Caramel buttercream recipe I made up that is TO DIE FOR!

1/2 a bag of square caramels

1/4 cup of Great Value Brand Creme Brulee Coffee Creamer

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Melt caramels over a double boiler (or a heavy bowl over a saucepan of almost boiling water) until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Add in 1/4 cup creamer and stir until well incorporated, let cool.  Take butter, that has softened to room temp, place in stand mixer bowl and beat with the wisk blade.  Add in caramel solution, 3 cups of powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Whip until it forms medium peaks (about 5 minutes).

Seriously, this is some of the best buttercream I HAVE EVER TASTED! No need to refridgerate. Just DEVOUR!

Oh, and in case you were wondering... CHARLES LOVED THEM! I have never seen the man eat a cupcake that fast in my entire life!  Success.



From our kitchen to yours

As you could tell from our last post, we have a plain jane fridge/freezer... no ice maker, no ice/water dispenser in the door.  Well, we do have an ice bucket. But, it doesn't hold ice... it holds fun size Twix.   Don't be jealous, you can do this too :) haha we're terrible

From our kitchen to yours: Valentine's Biscuits

haha okay, I lied ... this isn't a "from our kitchen"post, but it's a food related post so I think the label works!  I think I've told you guys before, I LOVE BREAKFAST and my favorite breakfast food is a warm, flaky, southern BISCUIT! No, no, no, dear one... NOT that refridgerated dough they call "buttermilk biscuits," but a real fluffy, buttery BISCUIT! haha, sorry, I'm not yelling at you, I'm simply emphasizing the word "biscuit." :)

Anyways, tomorrow is Valentine's day... and you know what this girl wants in her belly (okay yeah, a baby) but do you know what else she craves... a HEART SHAPED BISCUIT! Call me simple, but seeing a heart shaped morsel brings me joy! 

Chik-fil-a and Bojangles both have heart shaped biscuits tomorrow, well they've had them for a little while now... you know how I know, yep, I got one already.  Anyways, happy early Valentine's day for the few of my friends/family members that actually read this, and why not give your love a biscuit tomorrow instead of candy?  Just a thought ... I know I'd enjoy it more ;)

Wow, what a delicious lookin' bacon egg and cheese biscuit!

mMm look at that precious Bo-Berry :)

From our kitchen to yours: Good Earth

Good morning faithful readers! Sorry I haven't posted in a while :( There's been no real important updates, or extremely fun things happening in my life right now to blog about, but... we have had some surprisingly delicious food. So, here's a post on a $1 find at one of my favorite stores, Dollar Tree!

I don't normally like "boxed" dinners because they're too salty and FILLED with preservatives, but not this one... 100% whole grain, no artificial flavors or preservatives! Herb Crusted Chicken with mushroom risotto

Contents of the pouch: whole grain brown rice, seasoned panko bread crumbs, wine sauce, and risotto seasoning.

Simple step by step instructions :) Yes, much fancier than most boxed meals... "stay in and go all out!" ... cute!

Step 1: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 2-Quart sauce pan over medium-high heat for 1-minute. Add rice, stir one minute.

Add water, milk, sauce and seasoning, heat just to boil, reduce heat, cover simmer for 20 minutes without stirring. Uncover, simmer for 5 minutes stirring frequently.

Cut your thawed chicken, yes, this is the only component not included in the box.  Start the chicken once the rice is simmering for 20 mins.

Empty bread crumbs into a large bag and toss chicken until fully covered.

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, I was surprised they didn't say EVOO, to medium-high, add chicken to hot oil, cook until deep golden brown.

mMm then I took it out of the oil and placed on a paper towel to drain some of the grease.

Add a veggie, also something you have to provide (not in box) and enjoy! See, it looks much fancier than most boxed dinners!

Well done Kim for finding this steal at Dollar Tree :)  Oh yes, a little information on Good Earth ... I'm not sure why I found this at the Dollar Tree... it was not out of date, or some strange flavor no one would want.  I swear I've seen this same product on the shelf at Walmart for almost $4, and didn't purchase it because of the price! Anyways, their website has a coupon for $1 off, and the have other yummy flavors such as, Tuscan Chicken with Penne Pasta, Mediterranian Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta, and Spicy Citrus glazed shrimp (yeah, i'd expect to see that one at Dollar Tree) ... So there ya go, Kim's stamp of approval, maybe you should try it for dinner sometime soon!

From our kitchen to yours: Sausage Balls

I don't know about you, but I LOVE BREAKFAST! Yes, I sincerely adore a nice, hearty, warm breakfast but most of the time, I don't have the time to make one during the week.  I work 45 mins away from home so often it's yogurt and dry cereal for me. 

Charles' family has a Christmas morning tradition of sausage balls.  Yep, prep em the night before, pop em on a pan in the morning and bake them until golden brown, place in bowls and pass around while you open presents! Oh yes, and always enjoy them with a nice glass of orange juice.  So, I thought, why not make sausage balls for a week day winter breakfast treat!  GENIUS, I know ...

3 cups bisquick, 2 cups shredded cheese, 1 roll of sausage

Mix well with hands, microwave 20 seconds at a time, if necessary for proper incorporation.

Scoop your little sausage balls and place into a tupperwear tub.

Gettin' a large batch ready for the week, take out however many you want for that meal and bake then to ensure freshness.

Place sausage balls on a non stick pan and bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.

mMm Delicious breakfast goodies !

From our kitchen to yours : Bake Pops

Yep, you read it  right ... Bake Pops, not Cake Pops! I'm sorry Bakerella that I do not like the taste of your precious treats :( Sadly, I am not normally a "texture" kinda girl, but every time I have tried to enjoy a "cake pop" a friend has made at a party, I politely finish the bite in my mouth and discard of the rest... the word "pre-chewed" always comes to mind.  Given, I have seen some AMAZING creations made out of this undesirable treat ... wow, really!? I could never make these!!!

Yep, Bakerella's amazingness right here ...

So it all started when I was feverishly trying to get a Christmas list together for family, and I had a wapping 3 things on my list :

1. Cash
2. Walmart or Target Gift Cards
3. Zumba Fitness 2 for Wii  (I may need to do a review on this later)

Anyways, there's always some sort of craft or bake ware item that I am pining for but I couldn't seem to think of anything ... so I looked on my Pinterest account and noticed I had pinned some great ideas to decorate cake pops.  I had seen tons of  "cake pop bakers" online, but they only make around 6-12 pops, I knew I would need more and didn't want an appliance.

So, I found this ... Bake Pop Pans !  Haha yes, the As Seen on TV scared me ... but the concept, PERFECT! Basically a doughnut hole made from any cake or brownie mix, that is just what I wanted!  So I did a little research and everything sounded hokey, yeah like go to a page and when you "x" out it pops up messages telling you about deals and "are you sure you want to leave", ha ... well yes, if I clicked "x", that was my plan :) okay okay, I digress.   After my research I said "aw heck, Kim, go ahead and add it to your list."  So I did ... yep, fourth and last thing on my Christmas list, I'm a simple kinda gal!

Needless to say, I was getting excited when Christmas morning rolled around... Money (check), gift cards (check), Zumba Fitness 2 for Wii (check) ... but wait, where's my bake pops!?!?! haha silly me forgot we had changed our family plans and still had fellowship and festivities at another family members house... and yep, there they were and I was happy as a clam...  2 for the price of 1 ... BAKE POP PANS!
                                      

Once we got home from all our of holiday traveling, the first thing I did was make some treats, and oh my were they fantastic!  Check out the process below :)

Use any cake mix, boxed or from scratch, or even brownie mix!  Thicken the mix by adding an extra egg, milk instead of water, or some instant pudding.  I used Pumpkin Spice bread mix and Vanilla Spice Egg Nog :)

Coat the insides of both pans with non stick spray and preheat the oven to 350.

Fill bottom pan with mix.

Place top pan (with hole) on top ... haha yeah, great directions, Kim!

Place two yellow silicon clips in designated area.

Pop those goodies in the oven! It's okay if you over fill :)

Yep, my hubby was the first to say it "THOSE LOOK LIKE BOOBS" great for a bachelor party ? hahaha

Just what I was worried about, a really harsh rim from where the pans join :(

Watch out Martha Stewart, I'm a genius in the kitchen! Yep, pulled out my handy dandy cheese grater and filed off the edge (a microplane would work too, I just don't have one)

Check em out! Perfect little bake pops!  From here you can go either way: Bake pops on a stick or Doughnut holes.  I chose doughnut holes because I was bringing them to my office to place beside the coffee pot in the break room.

Look in the fridge and see what you have to add a little pizzazz to your treats ...

Voila! Pumpkin and Vanilla Spice Egg Nog Doughnut Holes with Cream Cheese glaze and Pecans! They were a huge hit with the coworkers and husband! 

I already have TONS of flavor combinations running around my brain, and my stomach :) Can't wait to try some more! This was a great buy and a perfect answer to my Cake Pop dilemma!