Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Again, I thought I did this forever ago, but apparently not! Here's the recipe for the cupcakes!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup soy milk (normal milk would work too)
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup natural chunky peanut butter
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp dark molasses (I used agave nectar)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp ground flaxseed
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Mix soy milk with vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside to curdle.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the peanut butter, oil, sugar, molasses, vanilla, and ground flaxseeds until well combined. Add the soy milk mixture, mixing until incorporated.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl and mix. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 23-26 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to cooling racks, and cool completely before topping with this delight:

Quick Melty Ganache ingredients:

3 Tbsp soy creamer or soy milk
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until just about to simmer. Remove from heat, add chocolate chips, and stir until chocolate is completely melted and milk is incorporated.

Set aside and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Spoon it onto your cupcake. Delicious!


After these are baked, whip up this quick melty ganache, and top your cupcakes with ganache and chopped peanuts!

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

I swear I posted these recipes forever ago, but apparently not. Well, here you go!

For these scrumptious little treasures, you need to start with a basic chocolate cupcake.

Ingredients:
1 cup soy milk (normal milk should work too)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with paper liners.

Whisk together the milk and vinegar, set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla, and almond to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add this slowly to the wet ingredients and beat until there aren't any large lumps. A few small lumps are ok.

Pour the batter into your liners, filling them 3/4 full. Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on cooling rack before icing.


Your next step is to make the icing. You make mint icing first, pipe it onto the cupcakes, then top it with a quick melty ganache and something cute (I used mint chips).

Mint Icing ingredients:

1/4 cup shortening
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp soy creamer or soy milk
1 1/2 tsp mint extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
small drop green food coloring

Cream the shortening for a few seconds to soften it. Use a fork to do this. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and a splash of milk, mixing to incorporate. Repeat this process, mixing after each addition, until all ingredients are used and the icing is smooth and creamy. Add the extracts and coloring, and mix it all together.

Quick Melty Ganache ingredients:

3 Tbsp soy creamer or soy milk
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until just about to simmer. Remove from heat, add chocolate chips, and stir until chocolate is completely melted and milk is incorporated.

Set aside and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Spoon it onto your cupcake. Delicious!

Rachel's Salsa

I think a few of you have posted salsa recipes, but here's mine!

1 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes (drain) - (or chop up fresh ones if you're not feeling lazy.) =)

3ish slices onion - chopped

1 can diced green chilies

1/2 Tbsp diced jalapenos

1/4 tsp oregano

1 tsp ketchup

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic pwd

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

and however much cilantro you wanna add!

(I always double this if I'm making it for more people than just us.)

We love to eat it with lime chips! Yum.

Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Pecan Streusel

I am so happy I tried this recipe! Super yummy. :)

For the pecan streusel, you'll need:

1/4 cup flour
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix together the flour, sugar, and spices. Drizzle in the oil and mix with your fingertips until crumbs form. Mix in the chopped pecans, and set aside.


For the cake, you'll need:

1 15 oz can pumpkin
3/4 cup soy milk
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 Tbsp light molasses (I used agave nectar)
2 tsp vanilla
2 2/3 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan.

Combine the pumpkin, milk, oil, sugar, molasses, and vanilla. Mix well. Add half the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices, using a fork to gently fold everything together (this prevents the pumpkin from becoming gummy due to overmixing). Add the remaining flour and mix gently until combined.


Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out with a spatula. Scatter the streusel on top evenly. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly before cutting. Enjoy!

Ranch Cheesburgers

This recipe is SUPER easy and soooo yummy. 

1 1/2 lbs ground hamburger (the recipe only calls for 1 lb, but I have a bigger family)
1 ranch dressing packet
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

That's it!  Just mix all together and form patties and season with salt and pepper while cooking.
Enjoy!

Oatmeal Cookies

These are the cookies I have made in a while.  When we made them this afternoon my 6 year old hugged my legs and said, "You're the best Mom ever!"  That alone makes this trying at least once.  :)

I got the recipe from the back of the Western Family Instant Oatmeal box

1 C brown sugar
1 C granulated sugar
1 C shortening ( I used 1 C softened butter)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs. milk
2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 C instant oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350.  Beat shortening/butter and sugars until creamy.  Add eggs, vanilla and milk; mix well.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet ingredients, mix well.  Stir in oatmeal and additions * 
Put rounded T of dough on greased cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are light brown.  Let stand for 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack.

*Additions*
1 C chocolate chips or peanut butter chips, OR 1 C raisins and 1 C chopped walnuts/pecans,  OR 2 C coconut

Maple Bundt Cake

Hello, this cake is my new favorite! Delicious, beautiful, and good for you. :)

3 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (or you can sift whole-wheat flour, making it lighter like pastry flour)
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
2/3 cup canola oil
2 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. maple extract
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
berries for garnish

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray.

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

Whisk maple syrup, oil, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, maple extract, and 1 1/3 cups water in large separate bowl. Stir in flour mixture until just blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pan on rack 20 minutes. Unmold onto rack, and cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and decorate with berries before serving.