Friday, October 28, 2011

Chicken Lo Mein

1 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 pound chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 sweet red pepper, cut into bite-size strips
1 small onion, cut into bite-size pieces
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ginger
4 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained

In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil. Add chicken pieces and cook through. Add vegetables.



Saute until vegetables are tender. Add garlic powder and crushed red pepper.



In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch, chicken broth, soy sauce, and ginger. Add to vegetables and heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Boil for about two minutes until sauce is thickened.



Add spaghetti noodles. Serve.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

I went searching for a chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe for Chase and Emmy's birthday cake yesterday. Here is what I ended up using. I thought it was pretty good, but am still open to suggestions if someone has something better. I took suggestions from several different posted recipes and the recipes were all over the place on the cream cheese, butter, sugar ratio. I ended up trying to stay close to Best Bites regular cream cheese frosting ratios.

Ingredients
8 oz. package cream cheese, room temp
1/2 c. butter, room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 c. coco powder
4 c. powdered sugar, approx.

Beat cream cheese, butter, and extract until light and fluffy. Add in cream, coco, and powder sugar and beat until smooth and fully mixed. Depending on desired stiffness add more or less powder sugar and frost away.

Apple Walnut Magic Muffins

The base recipe for these muffins comes from the Malt-o-Meal quick cooking how wheat cereal box. My mom would always make these muffins, but would add an apple and walnuts to make them extra moist and delicious. It is a great way to use up apples that aren't very good for whatever reason. I usually double this recipe and the muffins also freeze beautifully.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. Original Malt-o-Meal hot wheat cereal, dry
1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)

Extra add ins:
1 grated apple (doesn't matter how gross plain)
1/2 c. (or so) chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large mixing bowl combine all ingredients and stir together until all ingredients are moistened. (I usually combine all dry ingredients and then add the wet stuff.) Then I stir in my grated apple and chopped walnuts. Pour batter into muffin pan, roughly 3/4 full per muffin and bake 18-20 minutes. ENJOY!

Yield: 12 muffins