Orange Creamsicle Cookies

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange zest (for me that was the zest of 2 oranges)
2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in orange zest and white chocolate chips.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Do not flatten cookies; it will make them dry. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Do not overcook! Cookies will be plump. Cool for several minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Orange Creamsicle Buddies

Orange Creamsicle Buddies
Yields 8 cups


Ingredients:
8 cups Rice Chex Cereal
1 1/2 cups white vanilla baking chips
1/4 cup butter 
3 Tbsp heavy cream 
1 1/2 Tbsp orange zest (this is the zest of about 1 1/2 large oranges)
1 tsp orange extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar


Directions:
Measure 8 cups Rice Chex Cereal into a very large mixing bowl, set aside.  In a microwave safe mixing bowl, combine vanilla baking chips, butter, cream and orange zest.  Microwave mixture on 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring with a fork after each interval, until melted and smooth.  Stir in orange extract.  Pour mixture over Chex Cereal and gently toss mixture with a rubber spatula until evenly coated.  Pour coated cereal into a 2 gallon ziploc bag, add powdered sugar and seal bag.  Shake mixture until evenly coated with powdered sugar.  
For a crispier version: preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Divide prepared Orange Creamsicle Buddies in an even layer among two cookie sheets and bake 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through baking.  Allow to cool and store mixture in an airtight container.


http://cookingclassy.blogspot.com/2012/03/orange-creamsicle-buddies-variation-on.html

Coca Cola Cake

Preheat oven to 350, and grease up (I like Crisco) a 9×13 (or so) pan.

Mix together:

• 2cups flour
• 2cups sugar
• 1/2tsp salt
• 1tsp baking soda
• 1/2tsp cinnamon

In a saucepan over medium high heat stir this up good until it boils:

• 1 cup butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup coca-cola (from bottle is my preference!)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Take off heat and add that to the flour mix & whisk until combined.  Then add:

• 2 eggs
• 1tsp vanilla extract

Mix, put in pan, bake it for about 30minutes. Yes, it’s a quick bake. Don’t over-bake it!

When cake is nearly done make the glaze by mixing in saucepan:

• 1/2cup butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup coca cola

Once that boils, remove and slowly stir in 4cups of confectioners’ sugar until nice and smooth. Then add in about a cup of chopped pecans, and give it a stir.

Once cake is done and out of oven (toothpick should come out clean), pour this warm glaze right over the top of the hot cake!

Wait.

Let it set… let it cool for a few minutes at least…

Enjoy warm or cold. (next day/etc. feel free to microwave for a few seconds to warm it up… so good)

Banana Crumb Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.
5. Makes 10 muffins

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/banana-crumb-muffins/ 

Crispy Chicken Wraps

*To prevent the wraps from unrolling during cooking, be sure to start them seam-side down in step 3.

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup mayonnaise, light or regular
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 scallions, sliced very thin
2 celery ribs, chopped fine (I omitted these due to my husband’s non-celery preference)
2 tablespoons sour cream, light or regular
2 teaspoons hot sauce (this does not make them spicy but adds great flavor!)
1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (the sharper the better, in my book)
4 (12-inch) flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:
Whisk the mayonnaise, cilantro, scallions, celery, sour cream and hot sauce in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to combine. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray. Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/06/crispy-chicken-wraps.html 

Chocolate Smoothie

1 cup Milk
1/2 banana
1 T unsweetened cocoa
1 T maple syrup
1 ice cubes

Toss into a blender and mix until smooth.  Add coffee creamer for even more deliciousness!

Coffee Creamer Overnight French Toast

This is TO DIE FOR!  Use ANY VARIETY OF COFFEE CREAMER!

Ingredients

• 12 (1 inch thick) slices of day old french bread or Texas toast cut into 1 inch cubes
• 5 eggs
• 2 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup liquid coffee creamer (we tried Cinnabun and it was amazing)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• For the syrup
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup liquid coffee creamer
• 1 cup sugar
• fresh or frozen raspberries (thawed) for garnish

Instructions

1. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non stick cooking spray. Spread bread cubes even in the dish.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 1/2 cup creamer, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.
3. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread cubes. Try to make sure all the bread cubes get the egg mixture on them.
4. Cover at refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.
5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until set. You can test if it is done by inserting a knife in the center of the dish. If the knife comes out clean it is done. Cut into squares.
6. For the syrup, place the butter, 3/4 cups creamer and sugar in a sauce pan.
7. Cook over medium heat until boiling and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
8. Serve syrup over french toast squares with raspberries if desired.

Cinnamon Popcorn

Trace's FAVORTITE POPCORN

8-10 cups of popped popcorn
1/2 cups butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 pinches Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Pop popcorn and spread onto a large cookie sheet.  Melt butter, sugar and cinnamon in a microwave safe bowl until the sugar is dissolved and butter is melted, about 1-2 minutes.  Stir in Vanilla.  Spoon butter mixture over popcorn and sprinkle with salt.  Toss to coat as much of the popcorn as you can.

Place in the oven for 10 minutes.  Allow to cool completely.  If storing (not likely!) place in an air tight container.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos Verde

This is a super easy recipe!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos Verde

• 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 (16 oz.) jar of salsa verde
• 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• shredded cheese
• guacamole
• pico de gallo or fresh salsa
• tortilla shells

1. Place chicken in the bowl of a slow cooker. Top chicken with the diced green chiles, cumin, onion and garlic. The pour the slasa over the chicken.
2. Cover and cook on low  for 8 hours.
3. Remove chicken from pot and shredded.  Mix in enough of the juice leftover in the slow cooker to make the meat moist.
4. Spoon chicken into tortillas and top with shredded cheese, guacamole and pico de gallo.

http://realmomkitchen.com/6924/slow-cooker-chicken-tacos-verde/ 

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 (14 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes with juice
• 10 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 1 cup prepared salsa
• 1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, and stir in the taco seasoning and tomatoes. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with half the tortillas. Spoon the beef mixture into the dish, then top with the remaining tortillas. Spread salsa over the tortillas and sprinkle with the cheese.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mexican-lasagna-2/