Funfetti Waffles

I'm fairly certain I have adequately stated my affinity for anything funfetti. I've made cake, cupcakes, ice cream, cookies... as far as I'm concerned, anything with sprinkles is automatically awesome.

I never would have thought, however, to bring the fun (ha) to my breakfast table, but Chef Mommy sure did. This was a great excuse to bust out the dinosaur sprinkles from Danny's birthday party; I think it would be so much fun to use holiday themed sprinkles throughout the year!

The whole family loved these - Ryan was so excited to be eating sprinkles at breakfast time!

In case you couldn't tell, this is an elephant from my awesome circus waffle iron!

Funfetti Waffles
from Chef Mommy

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups warm milk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sprinkles

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, butter and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended.

Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Add the sprinkles on top. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve with whipped cream and additional sprinkles on top.

Overnight French Toast

I love making fun breakfasts for my families on holidays, but I also don't want to spend my mornings in the kitchen when there are stockings to dig into or eggs to find. This Overnight French Toast was just perfect; I threw it together the night before Easter and then put it in the oven in the morning. By the time the last egg had been uncovered, breakfast was ready!

I can't even begin to articulate how amazing this is. I think it's going to become a permanent brunch staple for me. I was afraid it would be too soggy or sticky, but that's not an issue at all. The texture is mushy, but not in a bad way - in a delightful way!

Overnight French Toast
from Bite This!; adapted from Pillsbury

• 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup maple-flavored syrup
• 1 tablespoon margarine or butter
• 10 (1-inch-thick) slices Challah bread
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamondash of nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons powdered sugar1
• 1/4 cups sliced strawberries (optional)

Spray 13x9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. In medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, syrup and margarine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute.

Pour syrup mixture evenly in bottom of sprayed pan. Arrange bread slices in even layer over syrup mixture. Set aside.

In large bowl, combine eggs, milk, vanilla and salt; beat with wire whisk until smooth. Pour evenly over bread in pan. Cover; refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

To bake, heat oven to 350°F. Uncover pan; bake 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned.

To serve, top each serving with 1/4 cup sliced strawberries; sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Chicken and Bacon Ranch Mac and Cheese

You already know that I'm a huge mac and cheese fan. Look over there to the left - I have a whole tag full of variations, and though I definitely have my favorites, I'm always up for trying something new.

This Chicken and Bacon Ranch Mac and Cheese was adapted from Cooking Light, but I'm not really sure what's so light about it. Sure, it could be a lot worse, but this doesn't really scream healthy dinner to me.

Anyway, fat content aside, this was a seriously delicious dinner that both of my children gobbled up. I doubled it, which left plenty for leftover lunches for a couple of days. I also took Danielle's suggestion and added broccoli.

Chicken and Bacon Ranch Mac and Cheese
adapted from Dinner with Danielle, who adapted from Cooking Light

• 8 ounces uncooked Fusilli pasta
• 3 slices pre-cooked bacon, cut into small pieces (reserve 1/3)
• 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 breast)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces skim milk
• 1 can condensed 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup
• 4oz shredded cheese
• 3 teaspoons Ranch dressing mix
• 1 steamer bag of broccoli florets, cooked
  
• Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

Cook chicken in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon to the pan and warm through. Remove from heat and set aside.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155°. Add cheeses and dressing mix, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in broccoli, pasta and chicken.

Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake covered for 10-15 minutes; remove cover and bake for another 10.

Pesto Meatballs

I really wish I had photographed these BEFORE putting on the sauce so you can see the amazing color of these Pesto Meatballs from The Food Network Magazine.

I usually bake my meatballs and am not used to frying - I had a few casualties. But the flavor of these meatballs is so intense and powerful that it's worth it. I used store-bought pesto but can only imagine the punch of homemade. What a great summery twist to a go-to comfort meal!

Pesto Meatballs
from The Food Network Magazine, by way of Carrie's Sweet Life

• 2 pounds ground meat
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 cup pesto
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Form into small balls. Cook in a nonstick skillet with olive oil, 10 to 12 minutes.

Perfect Party Cookies

I love Funfetti. I also love cookies. So combine those two loves, and what do you get?

These fantastically awesomely Perfect Party Cookies from Stephanie Cooks.

I can't wait to make them again. They really ARE perfect! I used some sprinkles I had leftover from Valentine's Day, but I really wish I had thought to use the kids' dinosaur sprinkles (no worries - I used those in another funfetti recipe - coming soon!). I also used actual funfetti cake mix because I happened to have it.

Perfect Party Cookies
from Stephanie Cooks

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup yellow boxed cake mix
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 cup butter, melted, and slightly cooled
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 4 tbsp. colored sprinkles

In a large bowl sift together the flour, cake mix, and baking soda. Set aside.

In a bowl, beat together the melted butter, egg yolk, egg, and vanilla until slightly creamy. Add the sugars and stir well.

Add the flour mixture, stir until well combined.

Stir in the chocolate chips and sprinkles.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes (the dough will be very runny).

Preheat oven to 350.

Once dough is chilled, scoop heaping tablespoons worth of dough onto greased cookie sheets. The dough should be slightly smaller than a golf ball. Keep dough cool until it goes in the oven.

Bake 12-15 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center sets.

Cool for 5 minutes on the sheet, then place on a cooling rack to cool.

Red Velvet Cake

I'm not a baker.  I'd like to be, but I'm not.  I've learned pretty early on in this blogging adventure of mine that boxed mixes exist for people like me.  And that's okay.

Every once in awhile, though, I get the urge to bake from scratch.  I decide that I can totally do it, and any idiot who can read can bake.

It usually ends in regret.

Last weekend, my whole family gathered at Nana's for our annual Palm Sunday dinner and egg hunt.  I was really excited to make something and remembered that I saw an awesome looking Red Velvet Cake on my friend Lisa's blog.

I didn't have too much of an issue making it, but upon eating it, it tasted really dry.  I was disappointed, but then remembered the likely culprit.  I used egg substitute, and I had the liquid equivalent of just over 1 egg, not 2.  I intended to go back and add a little extra buttermilk to balance it out, but... of course, I forgot.

The flavor, however, was really good, and the icing?  Oh.my.god.  Beyond amazing.  The dryness was a bummer, but you couldn't even tell when you topped it with a scoop of ice cream. 

I would definitely try this again - this time, with TWO eggs.

Red Velvet Cake

from Joy of Baking

• 2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 2 tablespoons (15 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  
• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar
  
• 2 large eggs
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
  
• 2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
  
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
  
• 1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup (115 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted
  
• 1 1/2 (360 ml) cups cold heavy whipping cream (contains 36-40% butterfat)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two - 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

Red Velvet Cake: In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside. In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight). (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting.  Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish the cake with sweetened or unsweetened coconut. Serves 10-12 people.

Carrot Apple Coconut Mini Muffins

My friend Brooke often talks about Weelicious and makes their recipes for her toddlers.  I finally remembered to add it to my Google Reader, and immediately I starred a bunch of stuff.

I made these Carrot Apple Coconut Muffins a few days ago, and my entire family devoured them.  They were so easy to throw together and were absolutely delicious.  I'm normally not a fan of coconut, but it goes so well with the carrot and apple that you can't help but love them.  They definitely didn't last long in my house!

I didn't intend to make any changes, but my grocery store only had sweetened coconut, not unsweetened - but I kind of liked the sweetness they added!

Carrot Apple Coconut Mini Muffins

from Weelicious

• 1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
  
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
  
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
  
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
  
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
  
• 2 Carrots, peeled & grated, about 1 cup
  
• 1 Apple, peeled & grated, about 1/2 cup (gala, fuji, pink lady or red delicious are good choices)
  
• 2 Large Eggs
  
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
  
• 1/3 Cup Milk
  
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
  
• 1/2 Cup Honey
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to combine.

Place 1 tbsp of batter into greased mini muffin tins.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Serve.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

My most recent recipe swap selection came from my good friend Pam (Balancing Exercising with Healthy Eating).  The theme was sandwiches, and she submitted Rachael Ray's Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes.

These were really easy and fast to make, perfect for a quick lunch or weeknight dinner.  I served these on little finger rolls (hey, they were on sale) and I just loved the cheese sauce.  I think I'll add some green pepper next time for a little extra flavor.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

adapted from Rachael Ray

• 1 tablespoon EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  
• 1 pound ground turkey
  
• 1 softball-sized onion, chopped
  
• 1/4 cup steak sauce
  
• 1 cup chicken stock
  
• Salt and ground black pepper
  
• 4 dinner rolls (or 8 finger rolls), toasted if desired
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
  
• 1 tablespoon flour
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1 cup desired cheese, shredded
  

In large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, brown the ground sirloin, about 5-6 minutes. Add the onion and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the onions start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 2 minutes.

While the meat is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir the cheese in a figure-eight motion until it is all incorporated.

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and replace the top of the roll.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

I was skeptical about this dish because it called for cottage cheese. I don't think I like cottage cheese, although admittedly I haven't tried it in several years. I thought about subbing ricotta in, but decided to be a big girl and try it again.

I didn't mind it in this dish, though I don't have any plans to finish the rest of the container. ;)

This dinner reminded me of Lighthouse Lasagna, which I think I prefer, although this one is faster. I doubled everything, except for the beef, and it made enough for our family, plus a little leftover.


Sour Cream Noodle Bake
from The Pioneer Woman

• 1-¼ pound Ground Chuck
• 1 can 15-ounces Tomato Sauce
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 8 ounces, weight Egg Noodles
• ½ cups Sour Cream
• 1-¼ cup Small Curd Cottage Cheese
• ½ cups Sliced Green Onions (less To Taste)
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown ground chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce. 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sourProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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ream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.

Banana Cinnamon Chip Cake

The only thing I can say about this cake from Two Peas and Their Pod is that I made it after breakfast, and it was gone by bedtime.

Totally gone. Like, in my belly. I can, of course, share blame with my husband and two boys, but still. But... it was that good.

This was my first experience with cinnamon chips, and oh boy. I have a new addiction. I even added some to my daily trail mix.


Banana Cinnamon Chip Cake
from Two Peas and Their Pod

• 3 very ripe bananas
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup cinnamon chips

For topping:

• 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas well with a fork or potato masher. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Stir in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and sugar.

Add ¾ cup of the cinnamon chips, and stir briefly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the topping ingredients. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter in the pan, and top with the remaining ¼ cup chips.

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40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Baked Onion Rings

I LOVE onion rings. I don't know why I don't buy them more often, but thanks to Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes, I don't have to. These make-your-own are easy (albeit slightly time consuming but that's my own fault for not remembering that they needed to soak for a few hours) and taste delicious!

Everyone in my house gobbled these up, and I am pretty sure it won't be long until I make them again.

(Her recipe says to bake for about 12 minutes - mine needed about 6 minutes longer.)


Low Fat Baked Onion Rings
from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

• 1 medium onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rings
• 2 1/4 cups low fat buttermilk
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Italian seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup crushed corn flake crumbs
• salt to taste
• olive oil baking spray

Place slices of onion in a shallow dish. Pour the buttermilk over the top and let them soak for about 1 - 2 hours, refrigerated.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Combine panko, bread crumbs and corn flakes in a large dish, season with salt.

Dip each soaked onion ring into the crumb mixture; coat well. Place rings onto two cookie sheets. Lightly spray with oil. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Saucy Pesto Chicken

My most recent recipe swap category was chicken, and my draw came from A Taste of Home Cooking.

I don't really have the luxury of a lot of time to cook during the week, so I looked for ways to cut corners without sacrificing quality and flavor. During my weekend food shopping, I found a jar of organic garlic pesto sauce, and while I'm not really a fan of jarred sauces, this wasn't a variety that I normally keep stocked in my freezer. I figured it would be perfect, and it was.

Served over egg noodles and with a few minor changes, this was a pretty easy and delicious meal. Next time, I might baking it. Or adding artichokes. Or both!


Saucy Pesto Chicken
adapted from Taste of Home

1 package (9 ounces) fresh baby spinach

salt and pepper, to taste

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

1 jar (or homemade equivalent) of pesto sauce

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 pound egg noodles, cooked

6 campari tomatoes, chopped

minced parsley, for garnish

Place spinach in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown chicken in remaining oil on both sides; slice into strips or bite-size pieces and place over spinach. Pour sauce over chicken.

Cover and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160° and sauce is bubbly. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer. Serve with pasta. Sprinkle with tomato and parsley.

Barbequed Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

I am a huge quesadilla fan. One of my fondest college memories is running down the road to Friendly's at like 11pm for some chicken quesadillas. Yum. I love trying new varieties and think they taste so awesome when cooked on my panini press.

I just made The Pioneer Woman's version the other day and they were delicious. I used leftover rotisserie (okay, that does NOT look like it's spelled correctly but spell check isn't picking it up, we're going to just go with it) chicken and canned pineapple, so the prep time was minimal - pretty much just as long as it took the panini press to preheat.


Barbequed Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas
adapted from The Pioneer Woman

• 4 large tortillas
  
• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1/2 cup barbeque sauce
• 20oz can pineapple chunks, drained
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)

Preheat panini press or griddle.

Combine chicken and barbecue sauce; set aside.

Spray a skillet with cooking spray. Over medium heat, warm tortillas on each side until slightly brown.

Respray the skillet and add the pineapple. Cook for a few minutes, tossing frequently. Add the chicken and cook until heated through.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese over one half of each tortilla. Divide the chicken and pineapple mixture evenly over each tortilla half, and top with another 1/4 cup of cheese over each. Top with more barbecue sauce if desired. Fold over the tortilla and cook until browned and the cheese is melty and gooey.

Protein Breakfast Shake

During the week, I don't get a chance to eat lunch until around 1 and my breakfast time varies. Because I'm a teacher, it's not like I can pull out a snack whenever the urge strikes, so I'm always on the hunt for healthy breakfasts that will keep me full until my prep period.

Enter Slim Fast.

Now, I am NOT a Slim Fast person. Admittedly, I did it for my wedding and did see results, but that's not necessarily a road I plan to travel again; it just doesn't work for my lifestyle. But I found a can of their protein shake powder at the grocery store and thought I'd try it out.

I threw in some additions and am really satisfied with the result. I make it a few times a week, and it's just as delicious as it is filling. I drink it in my car around 7am, and with a fiber bar or some fruit around 10am, I'm good to go until lunch.


Protein Breakfast Shake
adapted from the SlimFast canister

• 8oz skim milk
• 1 scoop SlimFast High Protein Shake Mix
• 1 banana, broken into 3 or 4 pieces
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup crushed ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender (or in a large cup to use with an immersion blender) and blend until desired consistency.

Thanksgiving Burger

I've made Thanksgiving Burgers before, but when my friend Colleen posted a different variation, I had to try it. I really loved that hers was more of a all-inclusive patty rather than the messier option of having the extras on TOP of the burger.

Colleen mentioned omitting the gravy in favor of cheese; I chose to use both!

I had wanted to serve these with sweet potato fries to be a little more Thanksgiving-y, but the bag I thought I had in my freezer turned out to be regular fries. Oh well.


Thanksgiving Burgers
slightly adapted from Cooking This and That; originally adapted from Taste of Home

• 1 pounds ground turkey
  
• 1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1 cup stuffing mix, dry
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/2 cup turkey gravy, warmed
  
• 4 sandwich thins or hamburger buns
  

In large bowl, mix together turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, cheese, and thyme. Form into 4 patties. Grill over medium-high heat, about 6-7 minutes a side or until cooked through. Top with gravy and serve immediately on buns.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I was pleased to receive one of my friend Lishie's recipes in a recent swap. Everything always looks awesome and I love to see her personal touches on what she creates.

I've made several versions of Sweet and Sour Chicken; the flavor in this make-your-own-takeout version was good, but a little too intense. If I were to make this again, I would likely cut down on the amount of orange juice.


Sweet and Sour Chicken
slightly adapted from DeLish; originally from Secrets of a Skinny Chef

• 1 cup orange juice
  
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lemon, juiced & the zest
• 1 tablespoon orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1⁄2 cup AP flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
  
• 1 package frozen veggies - I used a stir-fry mix
• 1 small can water chestnuts
• 1 medium can pineapple chunks, drained
  

Preheat tProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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oven to 450°F.

To make the sauce: in a medium bowl, whisk the first 6 ingredients together (the juice through the oil) until incorporated and smooth. Set aside.

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet (or “grease” with cooking spray).

In one shallow bowl, place the flour, cornstarch, salt & paprika, and mix. In another shallow bowl, the eggs.

To bread the chicken, place all of the chicken pieces into the eggs and toss the pieces until they are covered. Transfer the egg-coated chicken to the flour mixture for coating. Lift each piece, shaking off the extra flour mix, and place them on the prepped baking sheet.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the breading is crisp.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the vegetables and cook until heated; add the water chestnuts and pineapple.

Transfer the chicken from the baking sheet to the skillet with the vegetables. Pour the sauce over the chicken and veggies, gently stirring until the sauce is incorporated into the skillet. Cook about 2 minutes more, until the sauce thickens.

Red Velvet Ice Cream

I just love ice cream (who doesn't?!) and while I'm definitely an Edy's fan, there is nothing like homemade ice cream.

We love the Funfetti Ice Cream I've made in the past, and I've always wanted to try it with other cake mixes. I was inspired by the red velvet box in the baking aisle and couldn't wait to try it.

The flavor wasn't really what I expected, but it was still so creamy and delicious. I brought it to my monthly girls' night, and it was the perfect end to an evening of food, wine, and great friends.

Side note: I just learned recently that placing plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream is crucial in preventing freezer burn. I feel like everyone knew this except for me, but I figured I'd share in case there are one or two others out there in the dark. ;)


Red Velvet Ice Cream
adapted from food.com

• 4oz cream cheese
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 cup red velvet cake mix

Using a mixer, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Slowly add the milk, cream, and vanilla; once all of that is incorporated, whisk in the cake mix. Pour into your ice cream maker and prepare according to manufacturer's directions.