Homemade Lemon and Blueberry Pop Tarts

everyone knows those nasty cardboard squares in boxes filled with processed crap. these aren't like that at all! these homemade tart are flakey and filled with fresh blueberries and lemon curd! i love lemon curd you can find it in the jelly aisle. these are easy for anyone since i used premade pie crusts also.

• 1 premade pie crust
• Lemon Curd
• Fresh blueberries, cut in half
• 1 egg, mixed well
• sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Place the pie crust on a lightly floured surface. Cut into four squares and roll the remaining dough out into another square if desired.

Spoon a bit of lemon curd on one side of the square, making sure not to go to the edges. Place some of the blueberry halves on top of the lemon curd. Fold the dough in half and gently seal the edges with your fingers. Take a fork and crimp the edges of the pop tart closed. Using a knife, carefully trim off the uneven edges.

Slice two little vents into the top of each pop tart. Brush the tops of each pop tart with the egg wash.

Sprinkle each pop tart with the sugar. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and cool on a baking rack. Serve warm. 

California "Sushi" Rice Salad

this dish can be dinner or lunch. I've noticed the lighting is way better before 4pm so i probably will be doing my posts before 4pm which is weird but it works for my photos. while my husband was here we were talking about making our own sushi and i found this recipe last week on Pillsbury.com . i thought it sounded neat and i love California rolls too. 

2

cups uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1/3

cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)

1/4

cup sugar

1

teaspoon salt

2

teaspoons grated gingerroot

2

large cucumbers, seeded, chopped

2

medium carrots, finely shredded (1 cup)

8

medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)

2

packages (8 oz each) imitation crabmeat sticks, sliced

1

small avocado, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced

• 
  In 3-quart saucepan, cook rice in water as directed on package. Spread rice in 13x9-inch baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until completely cool.
• 
  Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, mix vinegar, sugar and salt. Microwave 20 to 30 seconds; whisk until sugar is dissolved. Stir in gingerroot.
• 
  In large bowl, toss cooled rice with vinegar mixture. Stir in cucumbers, carrots, green onions and crabmeat; mix well. Top with avocado.
  
  Serving (1 Serving)
  • Calories 310
  
  • 
    

Happy Star Wars Day!

yes i made star wars pancakes! i made them with my sandwich cutters i got last month from williams-sonoma. they also have pancake molds but these work great! you have to make the pancake then use the cutter. i made neapolitan pancakes this morning i found on for the love of cooking. 

Neapolitan Pancakes:

Recipe by For the Love of Cooking.

2 cups of pancake mix
1 cup of milk
1 egg
1 vanilla bean
Strawberries, diced into small pieces
Milk chocolate chocolate chips

Combine the pancake mix, milk and egg together in a bowl. Slice the vanilla bean down the center then using the dull side of the knife, scrape all the seeds out of each side of the bean. Add the seeds to the pancake batter.

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle or skillet. Top each pancake with pieces of the strawberry and chocolate chips.

Cook 2 minutes or until the tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 2 more minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Served slathered in butter and topped with maple syrup. Enjoy.

S'mores French Toast

confession- i don't like marshmallows i will only eat them on s'mores! the same with my husband too. i did use marshmallow fluff for this recipe with nutella and who doesn't like nutella?! i found this recipe on bunsinmyoven.

makes 1 sandwich

• 2 slices sandwich bread
• marshmallow fluff
• Nutella
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk

Heat a skillet over medium heat.

Beat the egg and milk together in a pie plate or shallow dish. Pour the graham cracker crumbs in a second pie plate or shallow dish.

Spread Nutella on both slices of bread. Top one slice with marshmallow fluff and then put the other slice of bread on top, Nutella side down. Squish it together a bit.

Place the sandwich in the egg mixture and turn to coat. Remove from the egg mixture and place in the graham cracker crumbs, turning the sandwich to coat each side with crumbs.

Place the sandwich on the skillet and cook until lightly browned and the marshmallows are melted. Let sit for a few minutes before cutting in half. 

calories- 244-carbs 39-fat 8-protein 9

Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs

i did this recipe last year for easter and i thought i would retake the photos i made such a mess last time they were pretty hard to cover in chocolate and this time i used white chocolate too! i also needed an excuse to use my easter sprinkles. 

1/4 lb butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 lbs confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
20-23 ounces milk chocolate chips, or white chocolate dipping chocolate.


Mix the butter and cream cheese together. (I put mine in the microwave for 40 secs. to soften), then cream together.

Add the confectionery sugar about 1 cup at a time, and mix well.

Add the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt, and mix until well-blended.

Place the mixture in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hours (I stuck the bowl in the freezer for about 1/2 hr., to harden the dough.)

Form the peanut butter mixture into egg shapes, then refrigerate again for at least 1 hour (Again, I put them in the freezer instead of the fridge).

Melt the chocolate in a microwave oven or in a double boiler.

Quickly place the eggs, doing one at a time, in the chocolate mixture to coat the bottom, then lift it with a thin spatula, and with a knife I spread all along the sides and top of the egg, then with the knife I fluff the top of the chocolate to make the eggs look pretty.

You have to work quickly while the eggs are frozen, as the heat from the chocolate chips makes them soft again rather quickly. If you notice them getting too soft, stick them back in the freezer for a few minutes.

Arrange the chocolate coated eggs on a waxed paper lined tray, and allow the chocolate to harden. (I stick mine in the freezer for easier handling when coating with the chocolate).

Easter M&M Cookies

well i was going to take a few days off to rest since my husband has gone back overseas the other day. we had a lot of fun during R&R we are hoping deployment only lasts 8 or 9 more months but you never know it could be longer. i totally forgot i had bought some Easter M&Ms to make cookies. i also bought some Easter sprinkles i don't know what I'm going to use those for yet since i have no cupcake pan or cake pans lol.

2–1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1–1/8 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, golden or dark
1 generous teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs (room temperature)
M & M’s (about half a bag)

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars with an electric mixer until creamy. Add vanilla, then the eggs (one at a time), mixing well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture until fully combined. The dough will be very sticky, recommend refrigerating it until it stiffens up (about 5–10 minutes).

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Form dough into balls (a little smaller than golf balls) and space well apart on a baking sheet. These do spread. also use an ice cream scoop to measure out the dough and keep the cookies consistent in size.

Place sheet in oven for about 9 minutes. Remove the sheet and lightly place six M & M’s on top of each of the partially baked cookies. Return the sheet to oven for another 3–5 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges just start to turn golden brown.

Remove from oven. Allow cookies to sit on sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a rack to completely cool.

Buffalo Chicken Ranch Wraps

tonight dinner was really easy i decided to try those morning star Chic'n nuggets and use them in the wraps. they taste really good! i adapted this recipe from eating well i changed it up a little.

 9″ flour tortillas (i used flat out flatbread light its 90 cals)

1 cup of previously breaded frozen chicken strips (Morningstar’s Chic'n Nuggets)

1/2 tomato (any variety), chopped

1/2 cup lettuce

1/2 cup shredded cheese 

1 tablespoon Buffalo Hot Sauce (i use franks red hot)

1 tablespoon Ranch dressing

Prepare chicken strips as directed.  Let sit for a few minutes to cool, then chop into bite-size pieces.

Put Buffalo Hot Sauce in bowl and mix chicken strips in sauce to coat.

Spread Ranch dressing in a thin layer over tortilla.

Add chicken strips.

Assemble wrap by adding the additional ingredients in layers.  Roll up the tortilla.