Knits ~n~ Purls ~n~ More

I should have made these for both my mother in law and my hubby’s uncle. They are both obsessed with Hummingbirds!

Ingredients

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup shredded coconut
Jelly bean eggs

Instructions

1. Melt the chocolate chips, following the directions on the bag. When the chocolate is smooth, stir in the coconut, then drop the mixture by the heaping tablespoon onto waxed-paper-lined cookie sheets.

2. While the nests are still warm, use your thumbs to poke an impression into the middle of each. Cool them, then fill with jelly bean eggs. Makes about 1 dozen.

I think I have everything in my fridge and cupboard to make these for tomorrow morning!

INGREDIENTS
Buns
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel, if desired

Icing
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons milk

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll dough and separate into 8 triangles.
2. In small bowl, mix raisins and lemon peel; spoon about 1 teaspoon raisin mixture onto short side of each triangle. Gently wrap corners of dough over filling and roll to opposite point; pinch to seal. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet; place on wire rack. Cool 10 minutes.
4. In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and enough milk until smooth and drizzling consistency. With spoon, drizzle icing in cross shape on top of each bun.

I think I am going to spend the day in the kitchen making some of these yummy treats, along with others for Easter.

1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
1 container (16 oz) Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter or marshmallow creme
1 package (24 oz) vanilla-flavored (almond bark) or chocolate-flavored candy coating

Directions:
1. In large microwaveable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 1 minute, stir until melted. If necessary, microwave 10 to 20 seconds longer or until chocolate can be stirred smooth.

2. Microwave frosting uncovered on High 20 seconds; stir into melted chocolate chips. Stir in vanilla. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes or just until thick enough to hold a shape.

3. Drop chocolate mixture by level tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper lined cookie sheets. Flatten each tablespoon of chocolate mixture. Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon marshmallow or creamy peanut butter in center. Fold chocolate mixture over filling; shape into egg shapes. (If mixture is too sticky, refrigerate until firm enough to shape.) Freeze 30 minutes.

4. In large bowl, microwave candy coating uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring until smooth. Dip eggs, one at a time, in candy coating using fork to hold them. Return to cookie sheets. Refrigerate eggs about 10 minutes or until coating is set. Decorate as desired.

How cute are these?

With all of these yummy recipes I have been finding, I am going to have to find some female fat burners, along with some for the men in my life. We are going to gain a bunch of pounds if I keep this up!

The following recipe and directions for these cupcakes don’t look to hard to make, I may have my sister in law help me make them for Easter.

Little Lamb Cupcakes
Ingredients

* 1 vanilla cupcake, taken out of the paper, recipe follows
* About 1 cup White Fluff Frosting, recipe follows
* 1 large marshmallow
* 2 white candy eyes
* 1 purple jujube candy
* 1 short 1/4 inch and 1 long piece 2 inch black string licorice
* 35 mini-marshmallows
* 4 purple and 2 pink jelly beans

Directions

Frost cupcake. Place the large marshmallow in the center. Lightly frost candy eyes and press onto the marshmallow. Frost the back of the jujube candy and put below eyes to for a nose. Frost the short piece of licorice lightly and press underneath the nose to make the mouth. Press mini-marshmallows all around the cupcakes and the face to make the lambs coat. Frost the tips of the pink jelly beans to make ears. Stick the purple jelly beans in the front and back of the cupcake for feet. Curl the long piece of licorice and press into frosting to make the lamb’s tail.

Vanilla Cupcake:

* 2 2/3 cups sugar
* 1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 2 large eggs
* 2 large egg yolks
* 2/3 cup milk
* 2/3 cup water
* 2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/3 cups cake flour
* 4 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup cupcake tins with paper liners. (To avoid cupcakes sticking if they overflow slightly, lightly spray the tops of the pans.) Put tins on a baking sheet. Set aside.

Process sugar and butter in a food processor until very creamy, scraping sides as needed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, pulsing after each addition. Add the milk, water, and vanilla and process to blend.

Whisk both flours, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients, in 3 batches to the wet, pulsing, and then scraping batter off the sides of the processor as needed after each addition. Process until the batter is very smooth and pourable like pancake batter, about 2 minutes.

Evenly pour the batter into the prepared cups, filling them 3/4 of the way full. Bake until the cakes are just firm and spring back when gently pressed, and the tops are golden, 18 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly in tin, and turn out of tin when cool enough to handle. Cool cupcakes completely on a rack before frosting.

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Fluff Frosting:

* 1/4 cup whole milk
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
* 5 cups confectioners’ sugar
* 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
* Pinch fine salt

Whisk the milk and vanilla extract together in a small bowl.

Slowly beat the butter and sugar, in another medium bowl, with an electric mixer until incorporated. Raise the speed to high and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula.) Add the fluff and salt and reduce the speed to low. Add the milk and vanilla mixture, scrape the bowl down, and mix until fully incorporated. Raise the mixer to high and beat briefly until fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Use immediately.

Yield: 3 3/4 cups

We are on the health food kick and the boys are grumbling, but oh well! Not only are they getting healthy recipes to enjoy, but they are now taking vitamins and hgh supplements. I found this recipe for a blueberry coffee cake that I am going to make tomorrow… its cake and its healthy too!

Ingredients

* Cooking spray
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or regular whole-wheat flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
* 1 cup fresh blueberries, or frozen and thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray.

Whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, the baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, cinnamon and walnuts. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, butter and oil until fluffy. If necessary, use the back of a spoon to press out any lumps in the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until fully combined. Beat in the vanilla and yogurt.

Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, stirring until just combined.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the nut mixture over the batter and top with the blueberries, gently pressing them into the batter. Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the remaining nut mixture over the cake, pressing gently. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly and then unmold and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Cut the cake into 2-inch squares.

Per Serving

(serving size, 1 piece)

Calories 210; Total Fat 8.5 g; (Sat Fat 2 g, Mono Fat 2.5 g, Poly Fat 3 g) ; Protein 5 g; Carb 30 g; Fiber 2 g; Cholesterol 41 mg; Sodium 230 mg