Cream of Wheat Muffins

Yesterday at our local supermarket I saw a tin of 'farina'.  The label said it was a wheat breakfast cereal, and being one of the nerdy kids who loves Shredded Wheat & the like, I decided to try it.  Turns out, farina is the same as Cream of Wheat, and a quick Google search for how to make it yielded this muffin recipe.  It was super easy to put together,  and makes 12 medium sized muffins that are quite tasty.  Very stick-to-your-ribs hearty.  I'll have to do more experimenting, but I think this recipe would be fun to use as a base to add in more flavors like fruit, nut, chocolate, etc.

1 1/4c all-purpose flour (I used wheat all-purpose flour)
1c farina (Cream of Wheat)
1/4 c sugar
2 1/2tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c milk
1/4 c oil
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400F.  Line muffin tin with paper cups or grease the bottom.  Mix all ingredients together well.  Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Mainlining Crack Balls

Back here we discussed Oreo Balls - how to make and enjoy. Since that time, they have been renamed 'Crack Balls'. My brother gets regular requests to make them for friends, work events, family, anything, everything, any time!

I'm pleased and proud to say that Crack Balls has gone 2.0 - Peanut Butter Crack Balls!! Here's the evolution: I talked about his Crack Balls on Facebook. That lead to a friend suggesting we drizzle peanut butter on top. That lead to a memory from my cousin about filling pastries using a baby medicine syringe. And all this lead to a beautiful place:

It's regular Oreo Balls filled with peanut butter, with melted peanut butter drizzled on top under the drizzled chocolate. It's really easy, just spoon some peanut butter into a bowl, microwave for about 30 seconds, and go! Use the baby syringe to fill them - not with much, maybe 1/2 a ml, and then afterwards use the spoon to drizzle the peanut butter, and then the chocolate.

This is an epic level of awesomeness, in my opinion. Also extremely dangerous - it's probably best that they're not in the house, really. So I'm just off to take care of that...

Banana Pineapple Bread

I found this recipe on Banana Bread Recipes here. It was amazing! The shot above was taken as soon as I could find the camera to take a picture - you can see it was popular!

3c. flour
2c. sugar
1tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 1/4c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple, drained*
2c. (4-5) mashed bananas

*I only had pineapple rings, but I cut them into pieces on my own and it tasted just fine. I also measured out a cup of drained pineapple instead of 8oz and it worked great.

Mix everything together well, bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes. Keep an eye on the bread, depending on your oven it may cook faster or slower.

Enjoy!

Oreo Balls

These are, as my husband would say, very 'more-ish'. That is, you want more. They are DANGEROUSLY yummy!

The ingredients are really simple:
1 package Oreos
1 package cream cheese
4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate (you can also substitute white chocolate)
as many 'balls' jokes as your household can handle

My brother got this recipe from some friends, and I must say, the 'balls' jokes were flying left and right. (Oops, another one!) Anyway, these are fantastic, and super-easy.

First, crush the Oreos into a dirt-like consistency. You can use a chopper, or do it by hand, but we found that the blender worked perfectly - and depending on the strength of your blender, you can do 6-8 cookies at a time.
















Next, melt the cream cheese just slightly so it's blendable. Mix it in with the Oreos.















Roll the mixture into small balls. It works best when they're about marble-sized. You can space them close together; they won't need to be baked. Use a cookie sheet or other flat surface.





























Next, melt the baking chocolate down to a sauce. Cover just the tops of the balls with chocolate. Refrigerate until they're cool.





























Enjoy!

Cinnamon Nuts

I just posted this recipe on my blog. Go over to it and get THE EASIEST RECIPE EVER! It only takes about 5 minutes to make a batch and people will think you slaved over a hot stove for hours. It makes a great hostess gift.

Almond Cake

This is a simple, but delicious cake! It smells the house up so deliciously, too!

ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup flour
almonds, either chopped or sliced

directions:
* cream butter and sugar together
* add eggs and almond flavoring
* add flour and mix until smooth
* pour into a greased and floured pie pan
* add almonds onto top, if desired
* bake at 350 for 30 minutes
* test with a toothpick in center, let cool completely before slicing
* make a concerted effort to share - it is really hard to do with this one!

Apple Juice Oat Meal!

Was the last post really in Feb?!!! I think it is high time for a new recipe. Ok, so this really isn't a recipe, but more of a twist on something healthy. Do you have a hard time getting your family to eat healthy? Namely oat meal? or do they load it up with brown sugar like my hubby? I was watching Oprah a while ago and she had some of the Food Network chefs on her show. After not really listening, I just happened to hear one say, "Make your Oatmeal with APPLE JUICE, it's the same measurements as if you would use water or milk, just boil the apple juice and add the oatmeal, it gives it a great flavor, and you don't have to add the sugar, if you do." Well, I decided to try it, not telling my hubby what I did, I told him to get a bowl, don't add any sugar and tell me what you think. HE LOVED IT!!! My son also ate a huge bowl (and he is only 11 months). It was a huge hit, a bit healthier, and just a great twist on a classic breakfast.

2 to 1 ratio,

Apple Juice
Oatmeal.

Boil the apple juice, then add the oatmeal, cook until done.