lemon cake pops or mini cupcakes

thebabycakeshop.com


Last month I was asked to make some goodies for Mothers day. I racked my head for some ideas on what to make. I decided to do a chocolate chip cookie, a plain sugar cookie, and a lemon cake pop. I figured with that selection I would have all my bases covered. Mothers who love chocolate ...check, mothers who love plain ...the sugar cookie, and those that like fruity...the cake pop. I knew I had the two cookies covered but I had to find a recipe for the lemon cake pop. I was given a cake pop machine from my son for Christmas and I love it!!! SO after reading through many recipes I chose this one. IT IS SO GOOD!!!! I tried the cake pops dipped in white chocolate, the cake pops dipped in a lemon glaze, and the cake pops dusted with powdered sugar. Every one of them were worthy!!!



1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3-4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Directions:
Melt butter and set aside to cool briefly.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer at medium high speed, beat together sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice 1 minute. Add melted butter and beat 2 minutes at medium-high speed.
Beat in vanilla and lemon extract. Add flour mixture and beat just until blended.
Fill each well with about 1 tablespoon batter and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool and glaze or coat, as desired.

I took some of the cake pops and put them in little muffin liners and voila they looked like little cupcakes :)

Chicken Ceasar Sandwich in the slow cooker

www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

I first had this sandwich at a bunco party and thought it was wonderful. The other day I was looking for something I could make ahead and take to baseball games. Something quick and easy. I remembered this and text my friend and asked her for the recipe. It worked out perfectly!! Not only is it sooo good on buns but my kids like to eat it with pretzel chips. It is also one of those meals you could serve for a large group of people .... simple and yet with the right sides its a great meal.



2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing (I like Cardini's and Brianna's Asiago Caesar)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (if you don't have fresh use around 2 teaspoons of dried parsley)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
12 slider buns or 4-6 regular sized hamburger buns


Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker with 1-2 cups of water, cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.
Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon and drain the water from the slow cooker. Place chicken on a cutting board and pull chicken into shreds, discarding any fat.
Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. I really make sure that I discard any fat pieces so by the time I was done I only used about 1/2 cup of dressing but you make need more if you have more chicken. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot.
Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto each slider bun if you are making sliders or more for regular sized buns. Top with extra shredded Parmesan cheese and lettuce to serve

Snickers Brownie Bites

domesticrebel.com

I seen this recipe on pinterest and I knew I was in trouble. I figure if I don't have candy bars laying around the house I wont eat them. WELL when the craving arrives and I have all the stuff for this recipe around the house then I AM IN TROUBLE!! But a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do to satisfy those crazy cravings right. I mean there is a reason we have cravings...our body just needs things once in a while (unless you are me then its most of the time). I know you people who are better than me can solve your cravings with healthier things but I am one of those weak people who cant deny myself from chocolate I mean I try to be good but I figure I deserve treats once in awhile. Kudos to you if you are stronger than me ;)

1 box brownie mix, plus ingredients on back of box
1 jar marshmallow fluff
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 pkg. caramels, unwrapped
1 Tbsp heavy cream
1 & 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/2 pkg chocolate Candiquik or milk chocolate almond bark




Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9″ baking pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Prepare your brownie mix according to package directions and pour into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean per the directions on the package. Cool the brownies completely.

In a medium bowl, combine the marshmallow fluff and the smooth peanut butter with a rubber spatula or hand mixer until blended. Spread the fluff mixture on top of the cooled brownies in an even layer.

Microwave the unwrapped caramels in a medium bowl with a splash of heavy cream for 1 minute. Stir, then heat for an additional 30 seconds or until melted and smooth. Spread the caramel layer on top of the fluff nougat layer evenly. Immediately sprinkle on the peanuts and press them gently into the caramel. Pop the brownies in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set.

Melt the milk chocolate almond bark according to package directions until smooth. Using a sharp knife sprayed with cooking spray, cut the brownies into 1″-2″ sized squares. Dip the tops of the squares in the melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat until all the bites have been coated.

Store the bites airtight, at room temperature, up to 2 days