Happy Pink Saturday....sweet muffins of mine

I love the color pink, it's just so pretty and happy and of course girly. I love it it to when I have pink food...yes silly I know but I do. So I introduce the White Chocolate Raspberry Muffins...these little treats are scrumptious, and pink. Pair them up with some Earl Grey tea and tea time is a special treat.

White Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup fresh/frozen raspberries
3/4 cup plus 2 tbs of sugar (divided)
1/4 cup butter softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract...optional
2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup half and half cream
1 cup finely chopped white chocolate bars or chips
2 tbs of brown sugar

In a small bowl, toss berries and 1/4 cup of sugar, and set aside. In a large bowl cream butter, and 1/2 cup of the sugar, then add egg, and extracts. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternate with cream. Stir in chocolate and reserved raspberries. Fill lines or greased tins with 3/4 full. Combine brown sugar and left over sugar..should be 2 tbs of sugar and stir then sprinkle over batter. Bake 375 degrees for 25 minutes cool for 5 before removing to wire rack. Make your self a cup of tea and enjoy a special treat. Hope you enjoy.

                                              Encouragement to chew on:

                         

Happiness resides not in posessions and not in gold; the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul.

What happens when a pregnant momma wakes up with a craving?

We make it of course. This morning I woke up with the worst craving for Cracker Barrel biscuits with butter and blackberry jam...sidenote (Dear Cracker Barrel, I love you, you gift shop, your food, really just love you..if you would like I will gladly be you spokesperson, I would gladly accept payment in meals...Thank you very much) Okay I'm back. So I made biscuits, and enjoyed every minute of it. Do you make biscuits? How do you serve them?


Mel's Biscuits


Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

3 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup of cold butter

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg with milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
2. Turn onto a well-floured surface; knead 20 times. Roll to 3/4-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. 

Thought the girls would get a kick out of the heart shapes, the boys made sure I understood they want circles

One of my Twinkies helping

Baked and ready for my tummy

With a cup of tea, butter and blackberry jam this prego is happy

The kids asked for bacon biscuit sandwichs

Encouragement to chew on:

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Travel the world with your taste buds...German Dutch Puff

Dear puffed pancake...I love you, you made me and my belly so happy I must have you again!

I am so glad I made this today, and no kidding if the kids were all asleep I would have eaten the whole thing and hid all evidence (hey don't judge) but momma did share.

                                                                                                                                                                                             

German Dutch Puff (also known as Dutch baby, or puffy pancake or just yummy)

Ingredients:

Pancake batter

3 eggs

3/4 cup of milk

1 tbs of butter (melted)

1 tbs of sugar

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup of unbleached flour

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Fruit topping

1 tbs of butter

1 1/2 cup of diced apples

2 tbs brown sugar

1/4  tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup of either fresh or frozen berries (this time I just used strawberries)

Preheat oven 425

Whisk together eggs, milk, butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl then sift in flour, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg stir to combine and set aside.

Melt butter in a skillet, add apples and saute for 2-3 minutes. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon, add berries cook for another 2 minutes until sugar has melted and apples are hot. Remove from heat

(so good you could eat it alone)

Butter a 10 inch  cast iron or other oven proof skillet. Pour batter in evenly and top with fruit mixture. Bake for 25 mins until puffed and golden around the outside and firm in the center..(mine got a little darker because I got distracted on the phone with hubby, still tasted amazing)

Divine...simply divine!

Encouragement to chew on:

Character is a diamond that scratches every other stone.

Hey Mel can you make Perogies? Why yes, yes I can!

That's how it starts with hubby asking if I could make something and then I'm off to the races. This time he was craving Perogies, so he looked at me with his very handsome face and asks if I can make them. Well let's give it a try. Can I just tell you WE are very glad we did. It means a lot when your hubby says they are better then that Polish place in Fall River.....stop the tape...what did you say? They are better then Patties Perogies, who is known for making the best perogies...now that's something to take to the bank. Of course I have to share the wealth, so if you like perogies try these...warning they do take time to make, but worth it.

Melody's Perogies


Ingredients

Dough
1 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
2/3 cup of cold water

Filling...you can use what you want...this is just what I made

Half a link of kielbasa
1 cup of cheese
4 potatoes
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

To make dough in a medium bowl combine flour, salt, egg and water. Mix well all together to form dough cover bowl and set aside.



To make filling...make mash potatoes the way you usually do then set aside, now take the kielbasa peel the skin off and chop up really well almost minced. Now add kielbasa to mashed potatoes and add in cheese, stir it up salt and pepper to taste...this is where you need restraint don't eat all the filling while it sits and you roll out the dough.

Roll out dough on well floured surface...cut circles out of dough using a small round container (I used my round glass cup) spoon filling into/onto dough circles now pinch edges together to seal.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, drop perogies in boiling water and cook4-5 minutes or until they float...now I take an extra step because I don't like the texture of perogies, I quickly give them a fast fry on the skillet with melted butter then serve...that's just me though, I'm huge on texture. They were wonderful. Enjoy

Encouragement to chew on:

It requires less character to discover the faults of others, than to tolerate them.

Banana Bread out of a crockpot?

Well that's what I said. Maybe you heard of this before, but not I. I was in the grocery market while in check out behind a very long line I spotted a (food) magazine (which is my eye candy) picked it up and flipped through. Not having much faith in the book (it's a diet one) thought it would amuse me while in line. As I flip I come across Banana bread made in a crock pot. I never heard of that before so of course I have to try this. Well after reading the ingredients and putting it together (all the while being skeptical that it's going to be good) I made it yesterday. The verdict? Seriously it was great, I was shocked great. Now I do have to say that my old fashion version is my favorite, but this took a pretty darn good 2nd place. It is moist, super fluffy, not crazy sweet...really um how to explain..yummy ;0) So here you go....

Crock pot Banana Bread (they say diet but hmm I don't know)

Grease the inside of the crock pot with margarine (I can't believe it's not butter) then flour  the pot

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of margarine
2/3 cups of sugar or sugar substitute
2 eggs well beaten
2 tbsp of light corn syrup
3 medium ripe mashed bananas
1 3/4 flour (all purpose)
2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
optional 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts

Cream margarine in large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly add sugar, eggs, corn syrup, and bananas. Beat until smooth.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in small bowl.

Slowly beat flour mix into creamed mix. Add walnuts if using here. Pour into crock pot. Cover, and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours depending how yours cooks, mine was good after 2 hours.. turn off the carefully unstick sides with a butter knife and turn on to serving plate......(now I did have some burned side on the bottom not much but some which I just carefully removed/ scraped with a knife and all was fine after that)
Voila...crock pot banana bread

(haha..notice my finger prints from checking to see if it's done)

Encouragement to chew on:

To rejoice in another's prosperity, is to give content to your own lot: to mitigate another's grief, is to alleviate or dispel your own.

You want a delish fast snack???? Apple nachos?

Apple Nachos

1 apple per person cored then sliced in rounds
Nutella chocolate spread...warmed to drizzle
Peanut butter, warmed so you can drizzle it also
chocolate chips
Melted marshmallows
Slice the apples. Place them in a bowl of water with salt in it to keep them from turning brown. Use about 1/2 tsp. of salt per 4 cups of water. Spread apple slices on a platter and drizzle with peanut butter, nutella and melted marshmallows. If you want you can even sprinkle with nuts, coconuts and chocolate chips and drizzle with more peanut butter....yummy treat..tastes like a chocolate covered apple just nice and easy to eat.

        
You can use all kinds of other ingredients if you like. Drizzle with caramel or chocolate, sprinkle with other kinds of dried fruit or use butterscotch, peanut butter or white chocolate chips. You can try whatever sounds good to you.


                                    Encouragement to chew on:

                  Kind words are the music of the world.
                               F. W. Faber

Who wants FREE jewelry? Well then enter this giveaway

 

 

I can't help it I love to give, it makes me giddy. So drum roll please......Bailey Grace Jewelry is going to do a giveaway. It will end on the 10 of February so you will have time to receive the jewelry in time for Valentine's Day. So here we go, Bailey Grace Jewelry is a new little business and needs exposure. So it will be a month long for entries. Share..share..share and tell all you come to te...ll me who me who sent them…the more likes that come in on your name the more entries you receive. So lots of potential to get lots of entries. What do you win well the jewelry piece of your choice. Be sure you visit my site or facebook and comment under the piece you like the best so I may keep track of it. So let the giveaway begin!

 

 

https://sites.google.com/site/baileygracejewelry/home

http://www.facebook.com/mrsmelodywest#!/pages/Bailey-Grace-Jewelry/336109413074170

Come check out the rest of the collections

My momma never cooked liked this.

Growing up in a Portuguese home my mom never made "American dishes" that's what she called chicken pot pie. So when I got married I had chicken pot pie and honest thought "oh man great comfort food". So off I went to figure out how to make a super yummy pot pie that would be yummier then any other I've had and without the whole canned soup thing. Here we go the recipe I use and dare say the tastiest.

Chicken pot pie

1 rotisserie chicken ( I pull the meat off and shred it)

1 cup green beans

 1 cup of corn

You can add 1 cup frozen green peas, carrots, peas, and celery, but hubby doesn't like those so I leave them out

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Directions                                                                                           Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)               

 

                       In a saucepan, combine chicken, and veggies (if using corn and canned green beans then you can skip over this. Instead just combine meat, beans, and corn then set aside). Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside         

In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.              

Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.  Brush with egg wash to make pretty and shiny.               

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.               

Tada comfort food done right. Hope you all enjoy.

Encouragement to chew on:

Every artist was first an amateur.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Channeling my latin side...que the music and hip movement!

Alright who am I kidding I'm full blooded Portuguese so not much channeling going on. Last month we went over a friends Christmas get together and a beautiful mama there was making empanadas and my husband was very interested in it and decided to ask her 20 questions on what she was doing. Seeing him ask her all those questions I honestly started to cringe..(I'll let you in on a secret I hate to fry food, not because of fat and stuff but because I always think it's going to spit at me) So the whole way home he said "Mel do you think you could make those?" Well how am I going to turn him down so I told him I would. Today was the day...I put on my big girl pants and fry some empanadas and not only did I learn how to tame the oil, but they were so crazy good I'm sold.

I went pretty basic on my first try, nothing fancy.

Ingredients:

My basic taco seasoned meat that I make

Shredded cheese

Threw in some mash potatoes (hey why not)

Last by not least shells...(hint they are in the freezer section not the international aisle or bread section as I first looked)

So we begin

Fill shell, fold over and crimp with fork

Keep it going...thankfully not rocket science

Filled up my dutch oven with veg table oil until super hot. Then turned done heat to maintain heat. Time to fry up these puppies.

Fry till they look done..crispy look to them

and they were kind to me not one of them spit oil at me.

And I was afraid of frying...silly girl. Now that I've got that under my belt I see some crazy creations ahead of me...breakfast, dinner, and you bet even dessert..can't you picture it some nutella chocolate, marshmallows and crushed up graham cracker inside all melted and gooey....drooling over here.

Let me know if you try them..so much easier then you think.

Encouragement to chew on:

Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.
Albert Einstein