Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

The surprise is the cream cheese & chocolate chip 

filled center. Part chocolate cupcake, part
cheesecake with chocolate chips.
Two bites of heaven in one.

Fair warning! These are sooo good you'll eat
too many. OK, maybe that's just me.
These can also be frozen. 

These are cake-mix easy. 

 Mix the cake mix following the box directions.
Set aside. Mix the filling in a medium bowl.

 Fill the lined cupcake pan with 2/3 cake batter
and drop a heaping teaspoonful of filling in
the center. Bake @350º for 22 minutes.

 Remove from pan and let cool.

 Mix up the chocolate frosting.

Frost!

Sample the goods! Have two!

I like to eat one while it's still a bit warm.

I refrigerate any left over that day and

bring them to room temperature before

eating. Larry on the other hand likes them

 cold. Crazy, right?

Here's a good tip if you want to bring one 

to a friend. Use a plastic cup inverted 

onto it's lid. 

Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

1 box dark chocolate cake mix

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/3 C sugar

1 egg

pinch salt

1 C chocolate chips

Prepare cake mix according to directions on the

 box. Set aside. Line cupcake pan with cupcake

 papers. In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese 

with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg 

and pinch of salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.  

Fill each cupcake 2/3 full with batter. 

Drop one heaping teaspoon of cream cheese

 mixture into the center of each cupcake. Bake at

 350º for 20-25 minutes, 22 works for me.

Remove and let cool then frost. 

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1/2 stick butter, softened

1/3 C cocoa

2 C powdered sugar

1 t vanilla

4 T milk

Combine and beat until smooth.

Enjoy!

more cupcakes here

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The Juciest Turkey Breast

What is that wonderful smell? 

Roast turkey in the oven!

Roasting the breast is one the easiest dinners

 in my rotation. This is turkey 101 for anyone 

that's not yet convinced. Target always seems 

to have turkey breast on sale for 99¢ a pound. 

That's such a bargain! If you're a couple like us,

 or a small family you can get several meals out

 of it. Nothing is better than a real turkey breast

 sandwich during the week ahead. 

Use a V-shaped rack in a small metal roasting pan.
This one is 9X11. So easy! Just butter it up.

Season well.

 Roast for 1-1/2 hours at 350º.

 Take a peek after an hour and it should
be nice and golden brown; now cover it
loosely with foil and add a cup of water
to the bottom of the pan. Return to the
oven for the last 30 minutes.

When done remove to a cutting board 

and let it rest for 10 minutes, still covered

with the foil while you make the gravy.

I use cornstarch, chicken broth, or 

powdered bouillon and water. 

 Remove the rack and whisk the drippings
over a heated burner.

Combine the gravy ingredients in a jar
and shake to blend. Add to the pan.

Whisk to blend and cook until it begins to

 thicken. I usually make mashed potatoes
with this dinner, so when I drain the
potatoes, I reserve the potato water to
 use in the gravy.  It helps to thicken it
and adds more flavor. Stir in about a cup of
the potato water. Bring to a boil; simmer

 for about 2 minutes, adding more potato
water as needed until it reaches the
desired consistency. Keep warm on low.

 Slice the turkey.

I like the cripsy skin on the breast meat.
Serve with mashed potatoes, a vegetable,
and gravy. Look forward to great
sandwiches tomorrow. 

Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
6-7 lb turkey breast (bone-in)
2 T butter, melted
salt & pepper
choice of seasonings
1 C water
Fit a small roasting pan with a V-shaped rack.
Rinse the turkey and dry well with a paper
towel. Rub the breast with the melted butter
and season with salt & pepper or your favorite
seasonings. Place on the rack and put into
a 350º oven for 1 hour. Add the 1 C of water
to the bottom of the pan and check
for to see if it's well browned. Lightly
cover the breast meat with foil to prevent
over-browning and continue to roast for
another 30 minutes. Remove the turkey
to a large cutting board leaving it tented with
the foil for about 10 minuted before carving
while you make the gravy.
optional seasonings: Poultry Rub, seasoned salt,
Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder,
thyme,
tip: If you're making baked sweet potatoes
instead of mashed, just pierce them and pop
into the oven for the last hour.

Easy Gravy
2 T cornstarch
2 t chicken bouillon
1 C water
1 C reserved potato water
Place the roasting pan over heated burner, and
whisk scraping up any pan drippings into the water
in the bottom of the roasting pan. Combine the
 2 T cornstarch and the 2 t bouillon to 1 C water
 (or use 1 C chicken broth, and no dry bouillon)
in a jar and shake to combine; add to the pan
and whisk to combine, Add the reserved 1 C of
potato water (or plain water) whisking until it
starts to boil and thickens; about 2 minutes. Add
more potato water, up to 1 C as needed to reach
a desired consistency. Reduce heat to low to keep
warm. Pour into a heated gravy boat.

Enjoy!

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Apricot Chicken

Just 3 ingredients poured over chicken.
Couldn't be easier!

A pretty dish to serve in the Spring.

 Season the chicken and put into a casserole
that's been sprayed with Pam.

 Mix the ingredients.

 Pour over the chicken. You can use boneless
breasts or cut up chicken.  I skin the pieces.

 I mix this up after lunch, then cover
with plastic wrap and refrigerate until
time to pop into a 350º oven for 1 hour.

I also cut the chicken breasts in half for easier
serving. Serve over rice with lots of sauce and
a nice green vegetable.

APRICOT CHICKEN

Ingredients

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 2 lbs.
• 8 oz. (1 C) bottle of Catalina, Russian,
•   or French dressing
• 1 cup apricot jam
• 1 packet dry onion soup mix
• (optional 2 t curry powder)

Instructions

1. Place the chicken breasts into a casserole dish. 
   Season with salt and pepper.

2. Combine the dressing, jam, and dry onion soup. 

3. Pour the sauce over the top of the chicken. 
    You can make it ahead to this point, 
    then cover and refrigerate to bake later.   

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, 
    or until chicken is done.

5. Can also use a cut-up chicken (skinned), 3 lbs.

Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

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Million Dollar Meatballs

I clipped this recipe from the Chicago Tribune
many years ago. It's a nice comfort dish
that's a change-up from my usual tomato
sauced Italian meatballs. I think it got it's
name because of the green spinach, or
 because it was the winning recipe.
Either way these are a winner.

I like to serve the meatballs and gravy

over flat noodles or mashed potatoes.

This uses an envelope of brown gravy mix
and lemon juice for great flavor.

 Combine; ground beef, breadcrumbs, parmesan
cheese, spinach, onion, seasonings, and eggs.

I use my hands to mix.

Roll into about 1-1/2" meatballs.

Heat 3T oil in a large skillet and brown the meatballs.

Spoon off any excess fat. 

Add 1-1/4 C water, the envelope of brown gravy 

mix and 2 T lemon juice. Stir to blend well and let

simmer for about 15-20 minutes to finish cooking

 the meatballs. I you like lots of gravy, (and 

who doesn't?), just double the gravy ingredients.

While they were simmering I made parmesan

mashed potatoes. Just add sour cream, garlic

salt, pepper, butter, and parmesan cheese to 

the cooked potatoes. Mash, adding a little milk

if needed. I like to use the the old-fashioned

hand potato masher. It's quicker than getting 

out the mixer and I find I make mashed

potatoes more often. It just seems like less fuss. 

Million Dollar Meatballs

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef

2 medium eggs

1/2 C breadcrumbs

1/4 C Parmesan cheese

1 T minced onion, fresh or dried

1 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/4 t nutmeg

1 box frozen chopped spinach, 

-thawed and squeezed dry.

Combine all ingredients and mix well; form into 

1-1/2" meatballs and brown in 3 T hot oil in a large 

saucepan, turning to brown sides. Spoon out 

any excess fat. To the pan add:

1-1/4 C water

1 envelope brown gravy mix

 2 T lemon juice

 Stir the three ingredients into the pan; mix well. 

Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes , stirring 

occasionally until the meatballs are cooked 
through. Serve over buttered noodles 
or mashed potatoes. If you like lots of
gravy, double the gravy ingredients.

Serves 4

Enjoy!

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One of the most vied recipes on:

Corn Pudding

This recipe is just a tiny bit different 

from my corn souffle casserole.

Mixed up and ready for the oven.

 We're having BBQ chicken for dinner tonight and
I think corn pudding/souffle/casserole
is the perfect side dish for BBQ.

 It mixes up in minutes and is a
great pot luck dish too.

It's from Susan Branch. Love reading 

her blog and books. I am a fan.

Her recipes are beautifully illustrated.

 Now I've discovered it's also great for brunch, or

just heat up the leftovers with maple syrup
the next day. 

Corn Pudding

1~14oz can corn, drained

1~14oz can creamed corn

1 C sour cream

1/2 C butter, melted

1 egg, beaten

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

1/4 t cayenne

1/4 t paprika for the top

Mix first 7 ingredients and pour into a

buttered 9" square baking dish. Sprinkle 

the top w/paprika, bake in a 350º for 1 hr.

p.s. It's great with warm maple syrup for

brunch too. 8 servings.

Enjoy!

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Between Naps On the Porch,
Common Ground, Rattlebridge Farm,
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