Couldn't decide on just one!

This week on Kelly's Korner's Show Us Your Life it is your favorite appetizer. Appetizers are my favorite part of the meal! And, of course, there is no way I could pick just one so I picked FOUR!

Here they are:

Tiny Chicken Turnovers

from

allrecipes.com

3 tablespoons chopped onion

3 tablespoons butter

1 3/4 cups shredded, cooked chicken meat

3 tablespoons chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, diced

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 cup butter, chilled

5 tablespoons cold water

Directions

1. In a large skillet saute the onion in the butter until tender. Stir in the chicken, chicken broth, garlic salt, poultry seasoning, pepper and cream cheese. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3. In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt and paprika; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until a ball forms.
4. On a floured surface roll out the pastry to 1/16 inch thick. Cut with a 2 1/2 inch round cookie or biscuit cutter. Reroll scraps and cut more circles until the pastry is used up.
5. Mound a heaping teaspoon of filling on half of each circle. Moisten edges with water and fold pastry over filling to make a half moon shape. Press edges with a fork to seal. Prick tops with a fork for steam vents.
6. Place turnovers on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Italian Layered Dip

from

Foodnetwork.com

Crab Cakes

from

Allrecipes.com

Note: I triple the recipe and make smaller patties

1/3 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/4 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

4 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 egg white

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon Old Bay TM seasoning

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

3 (6 ounce) cans crabmeat, drained and flaked

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 cup canola oil for frying

Directions

1. In a bowl, toss together the 1/3 cup bread crumbs, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, green onions, and parsley. Mix in the egg white, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Season with Old Bay seasoning, dry mustard, and onion powder. Fold crabmeat into the mixture. Form into 6 large cakes. Coat in the remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet. Fry the cakes 5 minutes on each side, or until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels.

And finally, my hands down favorite, super easy appetizer is...

Bruschetta

fromGuy Fieri

Ingredients

• 1 (12 to 16-inch) sourdough baguette
• 2 garlic cloves, halved plus 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnish
• 2 cups diced Roma tomatoes
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the baguette in half lengthwise, place on a sheet tray and bake in the oven until lightly brown. Rub with the garlic cloves. Drizzle with 2 ounces of the olive oil and sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Return to oven to melt cheese.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the tomatoes, minced garlic, basil, vinegar, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and let sit for 5 minutes at room temperature.

Remove baguette from oven and top with the tomato mixture. Garnish with basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano.


ENJOY!

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 6 ounces goat cheese
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 6 ounces pesto
• 8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, chopped*
• *Note: if you use dehydrated tomatoes ? add a little water to them and allow them to rehydrate slightly.

Directions

Let cream cheese and goat cheese soften at room temperature. Mix cheeses together with minced garlic. Line a casserole dish with plastic wrap. Put 1/3 of the cheese mixture in the dish, spreading it evenly to the sides. Next, layer ingredients in the following order: the sun-dried tomatoes, 1/3 cheese mixture, pesto, and remaining cheese in the same manner. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

To serve, turn upside down on a platter. Serve with crackers.

Playing Catch Up

I can not believe it has been over a month since my last blog. Lately, life is running 150 mph and I am running 20 mph!

Days after LL Cool Jake's fall, Grammy & Grandpa came up for Easter weekend. Grammy had a wedding to attend up here the following weekend and Grandpa had to the teach a course that weekend. So, Grammy spent the week here with us. Which is all good, however, she does not think too highly of blogging. So, no blogging while Grammy is here (mental note made!). Actually, she would prefer no computer while she is visiting but we all know that won't happen :)

After hanging with us for 11 days, I treated Grammy to a trip to Disney. It was her first trip since I was 12 years old and boy, that was a long time ago. It was a horrible day to take her. It was sooo busy. She kept saying she had never seen so many strollers in her life!

Jake does not care for the characters, at all! He is actually climbing out of the high chair!

That night I started my cake decorating class. We started with cookies, then a single layer cake, cupcakes, then double layer cake. I went to the 1st two class, then on the 3rd, I was so exhausted and yucky feeling, I skipped it. Well, when the next class came, I had just gotten back from a weekend scrapbook crop and had so much to do that baking and making frosting was not a priority. So, I missed the last class, too! Oh well.

A horrid recipe for a lemon cake. It came out dense like a pound cake and did not rise. Bleh!



My lemon cake (Betty Crocker) with raspberry preserve filling. OMG! So good. Roberto told me not to bring anymore cakes home, he liked this so much.

We have been so busy with our house in Lakeland. We are attempting to move in there around August 1st. So, we have been shopping for flooring, contractors, going on budgets, yuck. The whole thing is making me sick to my stomach. I would like to sell both homes and find one we are going to stay for years and years. But I love the location for us and Jake.

Jake is growing up so quickly. He is quite the chatterbox, albeit, a foreign language. I love watching him study us as we speak and imitate us. Speaking of growing, just 2 weeks before his birthday and 3 weeks before his party. There is another reason I have been so busy. But it is coming together. 


For Mother' Day, we went to Gaylord Palms' Sunset Sams for dinner on Friday since Roberto had to work Sunday morning. On Mother's Day, I was lucky enough to make myself coconut shrimp. Yummy, though!

Coconut Shrimp with Orange Marmalade

from

FoodNetwork

• 2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Dipping Sauce:

• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• 1 to 2 tablespoons dark rum

Directions

In a large bowl, combine coconut and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Place flour, eggs, and bread crumb mixture into 3 separate bowls. Dredge the shrimp in flour and shake off excess. Next, dip the shrimp thoroughly in the egg and rub against the side of the bowl to lightly remove excess. Finally, coat the shrimp thoroughly with the bread crumb mixture. Lay out the shrimp so they do not touch on a parchment-lined baking sheet or platter until ready to fry. In a large Dutch oven, heat several inches of oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the shrimp in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Be careful not to overcrowd shrimp in the oil while frying. Drain on paper towels.

For the Dipping Sauce: heat the marmalade in a small saucepan over low heat. Thin with rum as desired.

This past weekend, we went to Jake's little friend's party and his aunt made him the sweetest Elmo and Cookie Monster cake balls. So, today being Jake's snack I decided to bring in Oreo Truffled "Cake" Balls.

Aren't these adorable??

My finished product.

My cake ball dissected! Mmmm, oreo cookie and cream cheese goodness!

I took the idea from Lovefromtheoven.com. If scroll down her page a bit, she shows in detail step by step how these are made. And so easily, too! No Baking Required!

Now, I bid you adieu! But not without a couple more pics of Jake!

Piglet smiling!

Triple Chocolate Mousse, Tiramisu, & Tres Leche Cake

Okay, I decided to join in with the others on Kelly'sKornerBlog and submit my favorite dessert recipes of all time. So, after much consideration, here they are...  (Sorry, there are no pics but some of these I am made long time ago, one before digital, eek!)

Triple Chocolate Mousse Torte

from

Epicurious.com

• Vegetable oil
• 4 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
• 4 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), chopped
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 3/4 cups chilled whipping cream

Preparation

Brush 9-inch-diameter springform pan with oil. Place each chocolate in separate medium bowl. Combine 1/4 cup water and gelatin in small bowl. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat yolks and sugar in large bowl until mixture is pale yellow and very thick, about 5 minutes. Bring half and half just to simmer in heavy large saucepan. Gradually whisk hot half and half into beaten egg mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan. Stir over medium heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 3 minutes (do not boil). Remove custard from heat. Add softened gelatin; stir until gelatin dissolves. Strain mixture into large glass measuring cup. Immediately pour 1/3 of hot custard over each. Stir each chocolate with separate spoon until melted and smooth. If mixture cools before chocolate is completely melted, set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir just until chocolate melts. Cool chocolate mixtures to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Next is another favorite.

Tiramisu

from

epicurious.com

• 2 cups boiling-hot water
• 3 tablespoons instant-espresso powder
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
• 3 tablespoons Tia Maria (coffee liqueur)
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup dry Marsala
• 1 pound mascarpone (2 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream
• 36 savoiardi (crisp Italian ladyfingers; from two 7-ounce packages)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

Preparation

Stir together water, espresso powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, and Tia Maria in a shallow bowl until sugar has dissolved, then cool.

Beat egg yolks, Marsala, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water using a whisk or handheld electric mixer until tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. Beat in mascarpone until just combined.

Beat cream in a large bowl until it holds stiff peaks.

Fold mascarpone mixture into whipped cream gently but thoroughly.

Dipping both sides of each ladyfinger into coffee mixture, line bottom of a 13- by 9- by 3-inch baking pan with 18 ladyfingers in 3 rows, trimming edges to fit if necessary. Spread half of mascarpone filling on top. Dip remaining 18 ladyfingers in coffee and arrange over filling in pan.

Spread remaining mascarpone filling on top and dust with cocoa. Chill, covered, at least 6 hours.

Let tiramisu stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving, then dust with more cocoa.

Cooks’ notes: •You can substitute 2 cups freshly brewed espresso for the water and instant-espresso powder.
•Tiramisu can be chilled up to 2 days.

 

And last but not least, an old classic from my Miami childhood memories...

Tres Leche Cake (mmm)

taken from

allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar

5 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

2 cups whole milk

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.
3. Cream butter or margarine and the 1 cup sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat well.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 2 tablespoons at a time; mix until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Pierce cake several times with a fork.
6. Combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake.
7. Whip whipping cream, the remaining 1 cup of the sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla together until thick. Spread over the top of cake. Be sure and keep cake refrigerated, enjoy!

A Stitch in Time...

Whew, what a whirlwind of a week! First thing Monday morning, little man Jake falls and gashed his chin. Off to the ER, we go! For five hours, we sat and entertained a busy little boy. Finally, the nurses arrived and wrapped my baby up in a sheet as tight as she can. Next thing you know we are holding Jake down and my baby suddenly becomes The Incredible Hulk trying with all his might to break free of his wraps. Poor Daddy could not even look. After everything was done, 5 stitches, poor baby! 

All better!

The next day, Skylar, the dog, had surgery to remove a mass on her cheek. She came home with 11 stitches.

Jake had his Easter party at daycare on Wednesday, which also happened to be my day to bring snacks. So, I found delish idea for Peep Rice Krispie Treats.

They loved them.

Of course, on Wednesday, I catch some head cold. Hopefully, that was what was with my headaches. But mom and dad came up on Thursday. So, to celebrate her birthday which was on Monday, we had Carraba's Carry Out and I made one of my famous carrot cakes.

I never measure vanilla! You can never have too much vanilla!

Same for cinnamon!

Carrot Cake III

from

Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans
•  
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake. 

Can't wait for Easter with Jake!