Just a Canary Bird...

The Hubby received a Cowgirl Cookie jar for Christmas from one of his students. I decided to make them for Christmas. I don't know the exact recipe, but I know this is really close to all the ingredients that were in the jar. The student layered all the ingredients in a mason jar with a cute note attached. Here is the recipe! Cowgirl Cookies 1 1/3 cups of rolled oats 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup pecans, chopped 1 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon of baking soda 1 teaspoon of baking powder 1/4 teaspoon of salt 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips If you were giving this as a gift, you would layer all your ingredients in a jar. If that was the case you would want to include a card that stated the following: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease your cookie sheets and set aside.  In a medium bowl mix 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 egg, and a teaspoon of vanilla. Dump in the jar ingredients and stir together. You may have to u...

The Hubby had a pitch-in lunch at school on Friday. I decided to make my traditional chocolate chip cookies and then throw a non-traditional cookie in the mix. I made a triple chocolate- chocolate chip cookie! These were super rich, but good! If you are up for something different and you're a chocoholic, give this a try! Triple Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies   2 1/4 cups  all-purpose flour 1/2 cup baking cocoa 1 teaspoon  baking soda 1/2 teaspoon  salt 1 cup (2 sticks)  butter or margarine, softened 1 cup  packed brown sugar 3/4 cup  granulated sugar 1 teaspoon  vanilla extract 2 large  eggs 1 1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips 3/4 cup of white chocolate chips Preheat your oven to 375° F. Then combine your flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set it to the side. Beat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy.  Add in your eggs  a...

Football season is finally here. In our house this means soup, snacks, fantasy teams and afternoon naps (for me at least).  Let's not discuss how mad I am at Peyton Manning... I just don't think he realizes how important he is to my fantasy team and how he under-performed this week. C'mon Manning! At least my food is always good during football season, even if my players aren't playing well.  Since I'm on the low-carb diet, it's hard for me to eat a lot of dip without chips, so I decided to turn one of my low-carb wraps into chips, so I can eat this dip. Because it is heavenly good! Bacon-Ranch Dip 1 container of sour cream 1 packet of dry ranch seasoning 1 bag of real bacon bits 1 cup of shredded cheese, I like the mixed bag kinds This is a easy recipe that is just so good! You just need to throw all these ingredients into a bowl and mix them up. Store in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving! You could add some green onions for a l...

In Indiana we are known for our being able to experience all seasons in the same week!  Well I think we steadily fit a couple in this week. It was 95, then dropped down to a high of 67 and a low of 48 within two or three days! It's like you need to carry a tank top, light sweater, and your winter hoodie all around in your car because you just never know what the weather will be like when you get done with work at 5:00. ANYWAYS, this weekend the weather felt so much like fall; which leads me to get my Halloween decorations set up, thinking about going to the apple orchard to get pumpkins and to get apple cider and cinnamon sugar donuts!  Since I haven't had time to head to the orchard yet, I picked up a gallon of apple cider at the grocery store and decided to make our favorite fall cocktail! Caramel Apple Cocktail 8 oz of apple cider 2 oz of Smirnoff Kissed Caramel vodka This cocktail is super easy and yummy! You could enjoy it warm or cold. The H...

It's September, that means it's birthday month. My birthday was last week, my Dad's was Tuesday and yesterday was the Hubby's. I always like to make something for the Hubby on his birthday. He will eat cake if we are somewhere like a wedding, but not very often does he just want a piece of cake. He likes brownies, cookies, and candy bars.  For his birthday this year I decided to combine two of his favorites: chocolate chip cookies and Kit Kat candy bars! This cookie is sweet, chewy, and delicious!  Happy birthday honey! Kit Kat Cookies 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1 large egg 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 10 snack size Kit Kat bars, chopped in thirds 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Start out by creaming together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.  While that is working in the mixer, in a se...

This is our 3rd a final dessert of the week from Chelsea's shower this weekend!  Let's recap. We had the Cherry Limeade Cupcake! It was a lime cupcake with a cherry buttercream. Then we had the Dulce de Leche Churro Sticks. It's pie crust filled with dulce de leche and they were rolled in the cinnamon sugar! Our final recipe this week is the Cake Ball Truffles! Cake Ball Truffles 1 box of yellow butter cake, plus the ingredients listed on the box 1 container of vanilla frosting chocolate almond bark This is the type of recipe that once you learn the process you can change up all the flavor combinations. Just make your boxed cake mix according to the instructions. I always add an extra teaspoon of vanilla when I make a boxed cake mix. I baked mine in a 9 x 13 pan. After it's baked, you want to let it completely cool. Then once it's cool, you just want to destroy the cake. You can use the food processor or just use your hands to make it ca...

We are back with recipe #2 from Chelsea's bridal shower! I am a sucker for anything remotely caramel flavored. When I saw Cookies & Cups post a recipe for these churro sticks I was pumped! I thought this is something a little different for the shower. This recipe is pretty simple and the possibilities are endless! And honestly, who doesn't like anything rolled around in cinnamon and sugar?!?  Dulce de Leche Churro Sticks 1 box of refrigerated pie crusts 1/2 can dulce de leche 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2-3 teaspoons cinnamon 1/3 sticks butter, melted Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I floured my counter and rolled out both pie crusts.  Then I took about half my can of dulce de leche and spread out all over one pie crust.  I covered the first pie crust with the second and used my pizza cutter to cut strips. I then placed the strips on my baking sheets and used a fork to seal the edges of the sticks. I baked them in...

This past weekend, we celebrated my college roommate, Chelsea, getting married. I was on desserts for the shower and it turns out they were a hit.  I'm so glad I didn't have to bring a single leftover home.There is nothing worse for a low carb diet then desserts, but I'm proud of myself. I didn't eat one thing! Well if you don't count me having to taste everything while I was baking (who serves something they haven't tried!?! Not this girl.) This week I will go over the 3 recipes that I created for the shower! So we will start the week out with a bang and a Cherry Limeade Cupcake. In college we would hit up Sonic for happy hour. I would always go with the orange slush and Chelsea always got a cherry limeade. I decided to go with her favorite drink flavor profile for a cupcake! Cherry Limeade Cupcakes Lime Cupcakes 1 box white cake mix, plus ingredients indicated on the back of the box 3 limes 1 teaspoon vanilla Cherry Buttercream 1 c...

I have officially been on a low carb diet for over a month now. It's actually a lot easier than I ever expected it to be. The worst part is not really getting to bake and eat desserts! My favorite vegetable has always been potatoes. I could eat them baked, mashed, fried, boiled.... you get my drift, so it's no surprise that this is one vegetable that I have missed while trying to eat my low carb diet.  I have seen the cauliflower recipes on Pinterest to substitute for potatoes. I decided to try it. It was a pretty good success. I don't think it will ever replace my love of potatoes, but it's a good stand in! Loaded Mashed Cauliflower Cauliflower Sour Cream Bacon, cooked & crumbled Cheese, shredded Butter Green Onions, chopped Milk or chicken stock This recipe is really easy and adaptable depending on how many people you are feeding. Since I was just making enough for myself, I used between 1/4-1/2 head of cauliflower. I would use a whole head for...

I have started a high protein, low carb diet. I have been really trying to be good when it comes to staying on track. But even saint's get tested and I'm not even close to that! So I decided to try to make something that was salty, crunchy, and delicious, so that I wouldn't want to eat potato chips. Wait for it..... PEPPERONI CHIPS! Yeah, you heard me right. Soak it in... they are crunchy, spicy, salty, and DELICIOUS! They are also super easy! Pepperoni Chips Pepperoni's (turkey or regular) Baking Sheet Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Lay out your pepperoni's on your baking sheet and pop them in the oven for 6-8 minutes.  Take them out and use a paper towel to soak up excess grease.  Then pop them back in the oven for 2 minutes. (You may have to adjust baking time for the size of your pepperoni, mine were small). Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan. Enjoy! You can eat them plain or with your favorite dip instead of chips! U...

Usually when I am watching the Food Network, the Hubby isn't paying attention. However, the other day we were eating lunch and Brunch with Bobby was on.  Bobby Flay was making crepes and the Hubby decided that those looked good. He said, "can we have that for dinner?" I'm like sure. I have never had crepes before. Sweet or savory, I had no idea what to expect, but they turned out to be easier than I imagined and they were really yummy! I call them my "fancy" crepes, because when you go out to a restaurant they cost a ton to get! It's like wow is that thing filled with cash? They may look fancy, but they are really easy to make and you probably have it all at home already! My "Fancy" Crepes 3/4 cup of all purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon of salt pinch of pepper (leave this out if you are making these sweet!) 3/4 cup of milk 2 Tablespoons of water 3 eggs 3 Tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled I threw the eggs, milk, water, mel...

I follow Kristan on Confessions of a Cookbook Queen . If you don't read her blog, I would recommend it. She is quirky, clever, and she knows how to bake! A few weeks ago she posted a recipe on her Pineapple Brown Sugar Snack Cakes.  I am not this huge fan of pineapple. I remember being little and eating around the pineapple in a pineapple upside down cake, because the cake itself tasted so good!  I thought that this recipe sounded really yummy and I was right! So I set out to make them for our Memorial Day cookout this weekend. These bars have a ton of flavor and the crushed pineapple gives the cake great flavor but you do not get huge chunks of pineapple. It almost dissolves into the cake. Also, the brown sugar topping gives that nice crunch on top! Pineapple Brown Sugar Bars 1 box white cake mix 1 small box of instant vanilla pudding mix 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained 1 cup brown sugar ...

I definitely have a sweet tooth. I came home from work and decided I had a craving for no bake cookies. These are easy to make and perfect for the summer, because they don't heat up your kitchen. Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies 2 cups granulated sugar 5 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder 1 stick of butter 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract 3 cups of quick cook oaks Directions: Over medium heat on the stove, place the sugar, cocoa, butter, and milk in a saucepan. Make sure to keep stirring to help the mixture melt. Bring mixture to a boil (make sure the entire surface is boiling) then set your timer for one minute.  Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the vanilla, peanut butter, and quick oats. Portion out the mixture in tablespoon size mounds on wax paper. Allow time for the cookies to set up before trying to store them. These are a yummy treat for the summer! Until next time, Kar...

I am happy to say that I am blessed to have a wonderful, selfless, loving mother. I am also blessed to have a great mother-in-law. I am happy that we are lucky enough to have these wonderful ladies in our lives.  In honor of Mother's Day this weekend, I made some chocolate chip cookies for dessert at the end of our dinner with my in-laws. I love a good chocolate chip cookie, but I'll go out on a limb to say the Hubby really LOVES chocolate chip cookies! Because I decided to make this cookie on Mother's Day, I decided to name it my Celebration Chocolate Chip Cookie! These cookies are soft and chewy, due to the fact that they have vanilla pudding in them. They can be fancied up by adding in candy or nuts! Celebration Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients: 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour (1) 3.5-ounce packet instant vanilla p...

I love a good, quick dessert. I am not above used box cake or brownie mixes. However, this recipe is an easy alternative to using a box mix. These brownies are chewy, soft and yummy! Homemade Double Chocolate Brownies Ingredients: 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon baking powder  1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 eggs, room temperature  1 Hershey bar or your favorite chocolate bar Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (350 if you are using a metal pant). Spray your 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray, line with parchment paper, and spray with non-stick cooking spray again. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat together oil, sugar, and vanilla until light ...

Every once in awhile you just get an idea in your head to make something... Well donuts just happened to be one of those things for me. Instead of driving to our local bakery shop, I decided to make them at home. Not many people have time to do the full from scratch recipes on a whim, so here is a semi-homemade way to make a sweet treat at home! Donuts Ingredients 1 can of biscuit dough Vegetable oil Powdered sugar Vanilla Granulated Sugar Cinnamon Directions Get out a pan and put a 1/2 inch oil in the bottom and put over medium heat.  While your oil is heating, pop open the can of biscuits. You could cut each biscuit into fours to do donut holes or punch a hole in the middle to make the traditional style. Use one of the little donut holes to test the oil to see if its warm enough. If not, go ahead and make the glaze and cinnamon-sugar mixture. I wanted to do half and half for the toppings, so I used about 1/4 cup sugar and a couple dashes of ci...