Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip muffins

I found this on flikr.com. I absolutely love peanut butter and chocolate so why not have it in a muffin.

2 1/4 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 C brown sugar
6 Tbs Butter, melted and cooled
1/2 C peanut butter
2 lg eggs
1 C milk
3/4 C milk choc. chips

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with liners
2. Whisk together the first 4 ingredients
3. Whisk together the next 4 in separate bowl
4. combine all together
5. Stir in choc. chips
6. Divide batter into your paper-lined muffin tin. Each cup should be filled to the top,not just half way, to ensure you get a nice dome
7. Bake for 17-20 min, until tester comes out clean and the top of the muffin springs.

These were super delicious! So for all of you peanut butter lovers you better try them! You won't be disappointed!

Montly Post

Since we haven't had a lot of posts on here in a while, I thought it might be a good idea to put up a genre each month for your recipe post.

For example: for the month of April, please post your favorite Easter recipe. Whether it is your favorite way to cook eggs, your favorite ham or turkey dish, side dish, or treat...what is your favorite thing to eat on Easter?


For May, in celebration of Cinco De Mayo, please post your favorite Mexican Dish. If you have any requests of things you would like posted, let me know!

Panda Express Orange Chicken

Panda Express Orange Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• white pepper (for looks, if you don't mind a few pepper specks, black works great)
  
• oil (for frying)
• 1/2 cup cornstarch, plus 1/4 tablespoon cornstarch
  
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon gingerroot, minced (You can use 1 1/2 teaspoons ground dried ginger + 1/2 tsp fresh lemon or lime juice)
  
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red chili pepper (if you don't have that, you can use 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper)
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon rice wine (You can use white grape juice, apple juice, or rice wine vinegar + 1Tbs white sugar)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Orange Sauce for Stir Fry

• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 orange, zest of

Directions

1. Place chicken pieces in large bowl.
2. Stir in egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well.
3. Stir cornstarch and flour together.
4. Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat.
5. Heat oil for deep-frying in wok, frying pan, or deep-fryer to 375 degrees.
   
6. Add chicken, small batches at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden crisp.
7. (Do not overcook chicken).
8. Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside.
9. Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat.
10. Add 1 tablespoon oil.
11. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant; about 10 seconds.
12. Add and stir-fry crushed chiles and green onions.
    
13. Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds.
14. Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil.
15. Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed.
16. Stir water into remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and add to chicken.
17. Heat until sauce is thickned.
18. Stir in sesame oil and orange zest.
19. Serve over white or fried rice as desired.

*Hint: If you use the substitutions I included, cook the garlic and green onions, then add the other ingredients (dried ginger, cayenne pepper, lemon/lime juice, and white grape juice)

Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake Recipe

Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients:

***if you prefer a crust without nuts, the recipe for the no-nuts crust is below***
Crust:

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup finely chopped almonds
3/4 cup finely chopped vanilla wafers
2 tablespoons melted butter

Crust Directions:

1. Mix all nuts and vanilla wafer crumbs with melted butter and press into a 9 inch buttered springform pan, trying to line the sides as much as possible about 1 1/2" up the sides of the pan, set aside.

OR

***The crust recipe below is for those who prefer a crust without nuts***
No-Nuts Crust

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup melted margarine

Directions:

1. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Mix in melted margarine.

2. Press the crumb into a 9-inch spring form pan that has been lined on the bottom and side with parchment paper.

3. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan and about 2/3 the way up the side.

4. Put the crust in your freezer until the filling is done.

OR

***"Cheater Crust"***

Buy 2 already made graham cracker crusts from the grocery store. This recipe easily makes 2 cheesecakes, so I chose to go this route.


Filling:

1 1/2 lbs cream cheese (3 8oz packages)
1 1/3 cups sugar
5 large eggs
16 ounces sour cream
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice


Cheesecake Directions:

1. All the filling ingredients should be at room temperature.

2. Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy with an electric mixer set on low (keep the setting at low during the entire mixing process).

3. Add the sugar a little at a time and continue beating until creamy.

4. Add one egg at a time and beat after each egg.

5. Add flour, vanilla and lemon juice, mix well.

6. Add the sour cream and beat well.

7. Pour cream cheese mixture into the springform pan. (Springform pans are used when you want to take the cheesecake out of the pan to serve it...like putting it on a nice, glass dish. A regular pan is just fine...just make sure that you don't fill your crust all of the way full, since the recipe calls for 5 eggs, which makes the cheesecakes raise quite a bit).

8. Place on the top rack in the middle of a 325 degrees preheated oven for one hour and 15 minutes. (If you do this in 2 ready-made crusts, bake for about one hour, then check. As soon as the cheesecake starts to crack on the top, it is done!)

9. When time is up turn oven off, prop open oven door and leave in oven for one hour.

10. Remove from oven and let cool then refrigerate for 24 hours (or at least overnight).

11. Remember this important tip : A cheesecake should season. The wait is worth it. The flavor ripens and becomes enriched.

Garlic Bread Spread

Once again I got this recipe off of another blog, but it is so good I have to share!
Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened (half melted, half softened will mix better)

2 Tbsp. mayo (I used lite mayo)

1/4 tsp. sage

2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 clove garlic chopped (peel clove of garlic and then chop. I ended up only using half of what I chopped, but it's entirely up to what you would like)That part was from the recipe I got it from. I just use the already crushed garlic you get from the grocery store and it makes it a lot easier

1 baguette of French bread, halved lengthwise

2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (or to taste - you can make it healthier or fattier)

Directions:

Preheat oven to broil.

Combine butter, mayo, sage, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Spread mixture on bread and sprinkle lightly with cheese (or to taste)

Place bread under broil for 5 minutes or until lightly toasted.


I just mix my parmesan cheese into the mixture and spread it all. I also use Brummel and Brown yogurt butter instead, but I'm sure that it will taste fine with whatever butter you use! Enjoy!