Riccota Cheese Cupcakes

This year I got a cupcake calendar. It is AWESOME! This is the first recipe I'm actually getting around to making. I had some leftover Riccotta from making baked ziti. Very easy recipe, smelled awesome.

Ricotta Cheesecake Cupcakes

Ricotta cheese is lower in fat than cream cheese and it has a great texture.

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons margarine, melted
2 tablespoons honey
2 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz.) walnut halves

Method
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Place 12 baking cups in a muffin pan.
In a food processor, combine the cracker crumbs, margarine, and honey. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each cup, pressing firmly into the bottom. Chill until set.
In a large bowl, beat the ricotta with an electric mixer until soft. Then beat in the eggs, confectioners' sugar, and orange extract. Fold in the walnuts. Spoon the mixture into the cups.
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack. Chill until ready to serve.
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Makes 1 dozen

http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/RECIPES/RECIPES/DESSERT2/cupcakes/ricotta_chz.html

~2010~

So much for being a better blogger in 2010. We are 24 days into the year and this is my first post. 2010 is sure to be a big year for me. I am getting married in May, turning 31 in June and hopefully FI and I will move to a bigger house, with a bigger kitchen and LOTS more property so I can cook more, bake more and plant a bigger garden.

Here is a great recipe I found by accident.

Hershey Secret Kisses Cookies

Secret Almond KISS Cookies
36 Hershey's Kisses with Almonds chocolate candies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups finely chopped silvered almonds
1/2 tsp. almond extract (optional)
powdered sugar
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove wrappers from Hershey's Kiss candy.
Beat butter, granulated sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until fluffy.
Add flour and almonds; beat on low speed of mixer until well blended.
Using about 1 tablespoon dough for each cookie, shape dough around each candy; roll in hand to make ball. (Be sure to cover each candy
completely.) Place on ungreased cookie sheet. (It may be easier to push down on the cookie a little bit, otherwise the balls roll on the cookie
sheet.) Bake 10 to 12 mins or until cookies are set but not browned.
Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. While still slightly warm, roll in powdered sugar. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container. Roll again in powdered sugar just before serving.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Christmas Crack

And now the recipe....

Here's a delicious re-post just in time for your holiday candy and cookie making. It's one of my all time favorite recipes.

Now that I have your attention, I'd like to teach you how to make this highly addictive and every so delicious simple candy recipe. No, you will not need to go buy fourteen boxes of Sudaphed and a gallon of Acetone; just get the following ingredients:

1 cup butter (do not use margarine - this is not a healthy recipe)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 sleeves Saltine crackers

1 cup of chopped nuts (in this recipe, I prefer male candy)

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line a bar pan or cookie sheet (the pan/sheet should have a rim so that it can hold the goodness in) with aluminum foil. I also spray the foil with cooking spray, just to prevent any delectable bits from sticking. Next, line foil with rows of Saltine crackers. Yes, I said Saltines. Hang with me here, you won't be disapointed.

Next, melt the butter and combine it with brown sugar in a small sauce pan. Bring to boil and boil for two minutes. This now caramel syrup will be very hot so be careful. Several blisters and a melted plastic spoon serve as a good reminder of candy syrup safety. Pour the caramel evenly over Saltines and bake for 10 minutes.

Immediately after removing from the oven, pour the chocolate chips over the crackers. Let stand for two minutes or until chips are soft. Spread the chocolate as evenly as possible over the crackers and then top with the nuts. Refrigerate until hard.

To make it offical "Crack," just break the goodness into pieces, sampling for quality control of course, eat and enjoy.

My wedding is in less thank 6 months and my hair is a lot shorter than I want it to be. I had cut ALL my hair off in 2008 to donate and was hoping with a year and a half to grow it would grow back to a really nice length. Now with only 5 mere months, I'm worried it won't reach the length I want and so i've now added to my hair care regimen. Currently I am taking vitamin E, a multi-vitamin and a tri-omega to aid in growth. Is it working? Who knows.

Today I started using two different www.Arbonne.com products. The first is the SeaSource Detox Spa Hair Mask and the second if the SeaSource Detox Spa Rescue Wash. I used the wash, then the mask per the instructions. My hair feels good, clean and smells clean. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully this will keep my hair healthy and promote growth!

Bathroom Basket

I chose a basket in navy that is the same style and color as the basket for our pashmina's, just smaller. See a theme here?? Even better, our bedroom is navy so the baskets will get repurposed after the wedding. Purchased at Michael's on sale, with a coupon.

Here is a list of possible items:

Men’s

• Tylenol
• Comb
• Brush
• 1st aid kit
• safety pins
• chap-stick
• lotion
• hair-spray
• shout wipes
• gum
• mints
• tissue
• nail file
• mouthwash
• dental floss
• Tums
• deodorant
• body spray
• toothpicks
• cups for mouth wash
• sewing kit
• safety pins
• lint brush
• static cling spray
• blotting papers
• nail clippers
• tweezers
• breath strips
• scissors

Women’s

• Tylenol
• Comb
• Brush
• 1st aid kit
• safety pins
• chap-stick
• lotion
• hair-spray
• shout wipes
• gum
• mints
• tissue
• nail file
• pads
• tampons
• clear nail polish
• mouthwash
• dental floss
• Tums
• deodorant
• body spray
• toothpicks
• cups for mouth wash
• sewing kit
• safety pins
• lint brush
• static cling spray
• bobby pins
• blotting papers
• nail clippers
• tweezers
• breath strips
• scissors

-qtips
-perfume samples

Tiger Butter

1 bag of white chocolate

1 bag of dark chocolate (60% coco)

3/4 cup peanut butter

Melt the dark chocolate and spread on waxed paper on a cookie sheet. Next, melt the white chocolate and peanut butter together and spread on top of the dark chocolate. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or place in freezer for 20. You can cut with a knife or break with your hands.

I got this recipe from a fellow knottie. It is sooooo simple. I think next time I will use milk chocolate as I prefer that. I will also probably do it in a smaller pan to avoid the spreading situation I created for myself.

Mrs. Gill's Nuts!

No, the mother of one of my best friends isn't nuts, but this is her recipe for these awesome nuts.


l pound can of mixed nuts
1 Egg
1 1/2 tsp. water
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix 1 egg with 1 1/2 tsp. water then add the nuts-mix all together.
Then mix 1 cup suger with a 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon and add that to the nut mixture.
Spread mixture on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Take off paper immediately when cool and break into pieces.

It is just awesome. I'm definately considering using this in our OOT gift bags for the wedding!!!