Mexican Wedding Cakes

I have to admit, I actually made these last winter but, things got a little busy.  Between moving into and renovating our new home, job changes and other exciting things,  I luckily found some time to cook but, not much to blog.  Anyways, after a few months hiatus, I'm back at the blog and there are only a few more recipes to go!  

These yummy little treats are great for any time  of year but, are especially perfect for winter since they look like little snowballs.  The buttery texture and the crunchy pecans make a delectable combination.  The confectioners' sugar coating is the perfect finish.  Be prepared to lick your fingers!  

Thanks Stef for sharing this recipe!  

1 cup pecan halves
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar. 

1.  In food processor, pulse pecans, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt til' it resembles course meal; add butter and pulse til' dough forms.  Shape dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic; refrigerate til' firm, 30 to 60 minutes.  

2.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Pinch off and roll dough into balls, equal to 1 level tablespoon.  Place on baking sheets until golden around edges, 20-25 minutes.  

3.  Cool 5 minutes; transfer to rack to cool completely.  Place confectioners' sugar in a bowl.  Roll cookies in sugar twice to coat thoroughly, tapping off excess.  

Stuffed Mushrooms

Aunt Gina's Stuffed Mushrooms are sure to become an instant favorite.  The hearty baby Bella mushrooms encase a mixture of savory onions, buttery Ritz, salty cheese and, of course, plenty of garlic.  Worth all the effort of washing, stemming  chopping, mixing and stuffing. They are comfort food at it's best! 

4 large boxes baby Bella mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
1 heaping tablespoon garlic, minced
2 handfuls shredded cheese (your choice)
1 stick butter
1 to 1 1/2 rolls Ritz crackers

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Clean mushrooms and remove stems.  Chop stems and set aside.  Saute onions and garlic in butter.  Add stems and saute until soft.  Remove from heat.  Crush Ritz and add garlic and onion mixture.  Mix until crackers are moist.  Add shredded cheese.  Stuff caps and place on cookie sheet.  Bake 15 minutes.  Broil, closely monitoring, until top of stuffing is brown and crisp.  

Blueberry Yogurt Muffins

Come August, prime blueberry season around here, I'm itching to use blueberries as much as possible.  Aside from freezing some for winter use, they'll go into pancakes, warm fruit sauces, pies, fresh in cereal or with ice cream....the possibilities are endless.  

While I love to try new, experimental recipes, sometimes, the classics are where it's at.  That's why I love Aunt Ellen's Blueberry Yogurt Muffins.   

This recipe is simple, healthy and quick to prepare.  In less than 30 minutes, you've got light, fluffy, muffins with bursting blueberries in every bite.   

1 cup all purpose flour
6 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt 
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda 
1 egg
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
3 tbsp. canola oil
2 tbsp. 2% milk
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  In another bowl, combine the egg, yogurt, oil and milk.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Fold in blueberries.  Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 degrees 20-2 minutes.  Makes 6 muffins. 

Note: If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw before adding to batter.  

Ho-Ho Cake

Sweet, creamy filling is layered between rich, chocolate cake and the entire cake is then covered in chocolate frosting.  This is a homemade version on those yummy, albeit prepackaged, cupcake treats. 

Enjoying this cake around the family table led to a lively debate and consequently taste testing to determine which of the three major snack cake companies is superior.  The result? We agree to disagree.  

One thing we did agree on is that Jane's Ho-Ho cake is delicious and beats any prepackaged baked goods. 

1 chocolate cake mix
Filling:
5 tbsp. flour
1 1/4 cup milk
1 cup crisco
1 cup sugar
1 stick margarine

Frosting: 
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tbsp. hot water
1 stick margarine, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Prepare cake mix as directed.  Pour into a greased cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes.  For filling: combine flour and milk in saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until stiff.  Cool.  Add crisco, sugar, margarine and beat until fluffy, spread on cake and put in freezer until stiff.  For frosting: Beat all ingredients together.  Spread onto cake.  

Note: It took me 2 attempts to get this recipe right.  The mistake the first time was using substitutions (raw sugar, butter instead of shortening...).  After creating a soupy mess with my "healthier" ingredients, I found that it's critical to use exactly the ingredients that the recipe calls. That's to ensure that color and consistency of the filling and frosting are correct.   After all, this is an indulgence so, there is no room for fear of shortening and sugar!  

Whole Wheat Linguine with Green Beans, Ricotta and Lemon

For someone who claims she doesn't love to cook, Aunt Laura sure has some dynamite recipes in her cooking arsenal.  Her Whole Wheat Linguine with Green Beans, Ricotta and Lemon is not only delicious and nutritious, it's quick and easy to prepare.  

The whole wheat pasta is an earthy backdrop for the creamy ricotta and crunchy green beans.  The cherry tomatoes, added at the last minute, are a warm burst of flavor.  The bright lemon zest is the perfect finish to this simply fantastic meal!

1 lb. whole wheat linguine

1/2 cup part skim ricotta

3 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 lb. french green beans, trimmed and halved lengthwise

1 clove garlic

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes  

1 lemon, zested

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes.  Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.  Transfer the hot pasta to a large bowl and add the ricotta cheese.  Toss to combine.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the green beans, garlic, salt and pepper and saute for 4 minutes.  Add 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and continue to cook until tender, about 4 more minutes.  Add the pasta with ricotta to the pan with the green beans and toss.  Add the tomatoes and gently toss.  Transfer to a serving plate and top with lemon zest.  

Prep time: 20 minutes  Serves: 4-6

Broccoli Slaw

This side dish is a colorful medley of crunch, sweetness and tang.  Set along side a simply flavored, steamed chicken breast, it made for a refreshing and light summer supper.

Made with ramen noodles and bagged broccoli slaw, it's extremely budget friendly and so easy to prepare.  

Thanks Sandy for sharing!

1 package broccoli slaw
2 pkg. ramen noodles
1 cup craisins
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 small can mandarin oranges
1/2 cup chopped onion
Mix with:
1/2 cup oil*
1/2 cup vinegar*
1/2 cup sugar
flavor packets from noodles

Let stand overnight.  Cooking the ramen noodles is optional.

Note: Since we used Korean flavorings for the chicken, I used sesame oil and rice vinegar in the slaw to carry over the Asian theme.

Parsley Hummus

In our house, we're pretty much obsessed with hummus and we put it on everything.  With this "wonder food", we make cucumber and hummus sandwiches, use it as dip for pretzels, blue corn chips or vegetables, spread it on the traditional pita pocket and much more.  With a simple base of chickpeas and tahini, it can be made with an almost endless variety of flavors.

I love this Parsley Hummus recipe that my sister- in-law, Jessica shared.  Made with sour cream,  fresh parsley, and cayenne pepper, it's creamy and fresh with a kick of heat.  It's delicious, nutritious and, as long as there is a food processor around, quick and easy to make.

1 can chickpeas
1/2 cup chopped parsley, packed
1 tsp. (2-3 cloves) minced garlic
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tbsp. tahini
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tap. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper or hot sauce
1 tbsp. water (more or less depending on preferred thickness)

Drain chickpeas into a colander and rinse until no more foam appears.  Let water drain off.  Process parsley and garlic in food processor for about 1 minute or until parsley is well chopped.  Add chickpeas and process 1-2 minutes until mostly smooth.  Add sour cream, tahini, lemon juice, sesame oil, olive oil, salt, cumin and cayenne pepper.  Process until smooth.

Cooks note: You can mix the last 8 ingredients in a separate bowl before adding to the food processor.

Makes 1 1/2 cups