Yesterday, I asked you all for suggestions on kid-friendly finger foods to take to the neighborhood BBQ. My friend, Sheila, suggested an idea she saw on Pinterest for mini corn dog muffins - however, the link was removed from by Pinterest as spam. I decided that it would be pretty hard to screw up making these without a recipe, so I went ahead and gave it a shot. Disclaimer: These are not the healthiest - however, I would guess that they are healthier than regular corn dogs which are usually fried.

Here's what you'll need: 
1 box of cornbread mix - I used Krusteaz Natural Honey Cornbread
(plus an egg, water, and vegetable oil - or whatever you mix requires)
1 package of hot dogs
non-stick cooking spray
mini-muffin baking tray

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400. Apply non-stick cooking spray to baking tin.
2. Make cornbread according to directions on the box. Fill each mold a little less than 2/3 with batter.
3. Cut hot dogs into little segments (I cut each dog into 5 pieces) and place in the center of each mold.
4. Bake for about 10 minutes - keeping an eye on them.

Let cool. Pop out of tins. Enjoy!

These were a hit with the kids and adults. The only comments I got were "I like butter on my corn bread" and "bring ketchup next time". Touché, mis amigos, touché. Next time, I might try brushing the tops with melted butter.
Let me know if you try it and what changes you make!

write down/email/print/memorize this recipe asap and keep in your arsenal. I use this about once/twice per week on salmon, chicken, or pork.

This recipe is a hybrid of a marinade and a rub - but is best applied by a silicone basting/pastry brush. It is easy to make - and easy to modify to meet the needs of your tastebuds. It always impresses guests and commoners (my family) alike. Crunchy outside, soft and tender inside.

tip: I often make this spread (in a larger batch) every couple of weeks and keep in a mason jar in the refeigerator. it's nice to have on hand, ready to go, with the flavors nicely blended. also, sometimes i heat up the olive oil on med-low and let the rosemary simmer for a few minutes to extract the flavors.

Ingredients:  
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp dijon mustard (i like something that is really seedy)
2 tbsp Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb seasoning
2 tbsp rosemary (use fresh when you can)
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp sea salt

sometimes I also add other spices: garlic powder, white pepper, cayenne, whatever else is in my cabinet.

Directions: Mix all ingredients together, spread with pastry brush onto both sides of the salmon. The key to success is a grill pan - it's not too shabby in a regular frying pan either. Make sure your pan is hot enough to create the crust on the outside. I usually heat my pan on high for about 2-3 minutes, throw the salmon on, and then turn to medium or medium-high depending on the thickness of the filet. Cook about 3-4 minutes per side. I also find it best to use tongs to turn over so that you don't scrape the crust off the filet.

This is very customizeable - and it's hard to make it wrong. Add what you like and give it a try!

How to: Once the temperatures reach freezing, fill up balloons with water and add food coloring. Once frozen, cut off the balloon itself and you have a giant frozen ball of colored ice! so pretty - maybe you could even make them into Christmas decorations...

*on a side note, I would try to use a food coloring that will not stain or ruin your grass/sidewalks/child's hands.

I saw this idea over the summer and I've been holding on to the pic - but I just can't wait any longer to share! I thought I'd have a chance this past Tuesday to make these babies come to life, but it just wasn't cold enough.
photo credit to C. Doyle.

by Jennifer Hemmick
It’s my birthday and I’ll bake if I want to!

Last weekend was my birthday and birthdays with my husband’s family are not birthdays without ice cream cake. Call me crazy, but ice cream cake is not my favorite; I’m a frosting and cake kinda gal (the thicker the frosting, the happier I am) and I decided that this year, I was going to bake myself some cupcakes.

A couple of months ago, my coworker mentioned she was going to make some salted caramel cupcakes that she found on Pinterest for her sweetie’s birthday. When the day came, she posted about them on Facebook and I was so jealous I wasn’t a part of the festivities. Knowing how sweet Ms. A is, I should’ve guessed she would save some to share
with her wonderful coworkers. 

As soon as I tasted it, I was in heaven. The combination of salty and sweet was amazing and I was so sad when I ate that last bite that I vowed to find an excuse to make them ASAP. What better excuse than my very own birthday? 
 
Ms. A shared the original recipe with me, but told me she used yellow boxed cake mix instead of the written one. Hers were so good, that when I went to the store to stock up on baking supplies, I decided to just get the box. In my excitement, I ended up getting Sugar-free yellow cake mix and while looking up reviews on Amazon I found out that “excess consumption may cause a laxative effect.” I’m sorry, but diarrhea and birthdays don’t mix well in my opinion, so I ended up following the original recipe.

In full disclosure, these are time-consuming and use A LOT of sugar, but trust me, they are definitely worth it! You will also end up with a lot of leftover caramel and frosting, which, in the original poster’s opinion, “only matters if you’re an alien.” For an added treat Ms. A topped the cupcakes with a chocolate-covered pretzel, which I forgot to buy, but they were good
nonetheless.

Directions
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and light and dark brown sugars, and milk together. Bring to a boil.
2. Let mixture boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Preheat oven to 350°
4. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.
5. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together.
6. In mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar over medium speed for 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and continue beating
until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl when necessary.
7. Add the flour and the milk, beating on low speed until ingredients are just combined.
8. Fill each liner about 3/4 full, about 1/4 cup batter. 
9. Bake approx 20 minutes until centers are set.
10. Transfer to wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.
11. While cupcakes are cooling make your frosting. Combine butter, powdered sugar 3/4 cup prepared (and cooled) caramel sauce and milk in a mixing bowl. Beat ingredients together about 2 minutes until creamy. (Mine came out really thin, but it hardened once on the cupcakes)
12. After cupcakes have cooled for about 10 minutes, pierce tops of cupcakes with a sharp knife or skewer about 10 times. Pour about 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce on top of each cupcake, allowing it to absorb into the holes. (This step can get messy! I had the cupcakes on a cooling rack placed over wax paper for easy cleanup)
13. Let the cupcakes finish cooling completely and then frost with about 2 tablespoons of frosting on each. Lightly
sprinkle your cupcakes with (coarse or flaked) sea salt.

guest blog by Kylie Carey of Kylie's Pop Shop
Dorothy Jane is a family member on my mom’s side of the family. This recipe has been in the family for a very long time. Actually, the original recipe calls for “oleo” instead of butter! (That’s how old it is!)

Here's what you'll need:

2 sticks of salted butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 tbsp vanilla
1 box confectioners sugar
1 cup graham crackers

Chocolate for dipping
Sticks/tooth picks

First, assemble your ingredients so that everything is handy.

Next, melt your butter in 30 second intervals in the microwave. While doing this, crush your graham crackers using a food processer. I find that about 3/4 of a sleeve of graham crackers = about 1 cup of crumbs.

And VOILA! Buckeyes! Please stop by my Facebook page and check me out, as I am always creating new recipes and toying with classic recipes for new renditions!

In my house, we absolutely LOVE Moby Dick House of Kabob. And when I say we - I mean all three of us. My 4 year old orders his own platter and eats every last bite. The food is awesome - but it ain't cheap. I decided to try to mimic the famous yellow chicken recipe at home (Persian saffron chicken joojeh). Surprisingly, it was a super easy two-step recipe.

Marinade:
2lbs chicken breast, trimmed and cubed (1-2 inch chunks)
1 cup plain greek yogurt (I used a Chobani)
1 yellow onion, minced finely (almost a paste)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
5 cloves of fresh garlic, minced finely
1 tsp fresh black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp saffron threads dissolved in 1-2 tbsp warm water
1 1/2 tbsp turmeric (for color)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl that is not going to absorb the color of the saffron. You could probably use glass, but I used a metal bowl to be safe. Cover in the refrigerator and let marinate for a minimun of 4 hours.

*If you're going to put the kabobs on the grill using wooden skewers - make sure to let soak in water for at least an hour before you're ready to start cooking to prevent the skewers from catching fire.

Baste:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1tsp salt

Grill kabobs for about 3-4 minutes per side (all 4 sides). I had my grill set on medium heat - but all grills are different, so adjust the heat and timing as needed. Baste each side of kabob with lemon butter mixture. Serve hot with basmati rice.

After I made this and was cleaning up dinner, B ran around the corner in the kitchen and said, "Mom, that was PERFECTO!"
I'll add this to my arsenal of recipes. Hope you enjoy!

by Anola Trott
I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of the show “Kimchi Chronicles”, but it’s an eye-opener. It’s basically a documentary on Korean food and was one of my favorite shows when it was on -- the dishes they produce are incredible. True Korean food is so healthy, delicious, and unfortunately, very difficult to make.

I’ve been aching to make a Korean dish for a long time, but everything that looks or sounds yummy requires lots of ingredients (some are very uncommon) and even requires 2-3 days of prep time. No thanks!!! I found this super easy recipe on Pinterest and it was done. Here is the recipe for Korean Beef.

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef (the lean part is very important or it will become greasy)
1/4 - 1/2 cup brown sugar (I did just 1/4 because I wanted it to be more spicy)
1/4 cup soy sauce (I used low-sodium)
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (to desired spiciness)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 bunch green onions, diced (don't skip this!)

Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown hamburger with garlic in the sesame oil. Drain most of the fat and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper and red peppers. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Stir in some of the green onions at the last minute and serve over steamed rice and top with the rest of the onions.

I served mine with a side of Kimchi...enjoy!!

I somehow talked myself into buying ground turkey rather than ground beef. And not only did I buy ground turkey, I bought it at Costco... meaning I had 4 2lb packages of fresh ground turkey. Why did I do this? To be healthy-er of course.

I do not prefer ground turkey for three reasons:
1. The color. It turns weirdly gray after cooking.
2. The smell. Ugh.
3. The taste. If I'm going to bite into a sloppy joe, it sure as hell better taste like it.

So I found myself scouring the internet for recipes that would turn the turkey a different color, not make me smell it, and taste delicious. I found Laura's Quick Slow Cooker Turkey Chili which had rave reviews. I was so gung-ho about the recipe that I went to Giant at 11pm to buy all the ingredients so I could start the crock pot first thing in the morning. Impulsive? Maybe.

I read all of the comments and decided to make some slight modifications before preparing.
These included:
- use regular tomato soup, skip the salt
- replace one can of tomato soup with a large can of diced tomatoes
- use a pack of chili seasoning, not individual spices
- whole onion (what would I do with the other half?)
- cayenne pepper rather than chili flakes (1/2 teaspoon)
- cooked on low for 6 hours

The results? AB FAB. This was one of the best chili's that I've ever had. It was hearty, sweet and spicy, and involved very little work. Best of all, the turkey was actually edible! I would claim this recipe as an all around success. There was no need to add cheese or sour cream to fancy it up either. This was actually my first time making chili in the crock pot and I somewhat prefer it to the stove top... not sold just yet.

Do you have a chili recipe or

by Sarah Festa
I heard someone say that cleaning your house with a toddler in it is like brushing your teeth and eating oreos. So true!
The past few weeks have been busy around here, and we just got back from a quick trip to Rehoboth. I returned home to find my kitchen in a funk. No seriously, something was funky because there was a smell in the air. I decided I needed to tackle three things—mop the floor, clean out the fridge of old food, and put a new, better smell in the air. To Pinterest I go!!!

The Floor
I am not opposed to chemicals; I have my share of 409 and Shout, but if I can get away without using them, I definitely do. I found this heavy-duty floor cleaner recipe on Pinterest and went to town on my floor. The mixture didn’t have much of a scent, which I was ok with since I had enough smells going on as it was. The cleaner worked great—definitely going to be using this again.

1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon liquid dish soap
1/4 cup baking soda (I used the Super Washing Soda)
2 gallons hot tap water

The Fridge
There were definitely some culprits for the smell inside the fridge. I took care of throwing those things out and wiped down the shelves. I have seen lots of people on Pinterest pin the idea of using Glad Press ‘N Seal on your shelves to protect from spills and general mess. Once they get dirty you just replace it, keeping your fridge relatively clean. I tried this. I didn’t like it. The size of the product didn’t match my shelves not matter which way I tried to put it, and I thought it was wasteful to have to use 2 pieces on every shelf. Also, it didn’t stick very well. I had just wiped down the shelves and they were a tad wet, so I dried them off and that didn’t even help. Oh well!

The Aroma
I found a few recipes for stovetop potpurri on Pinterest and after consulting with my friend, I decided on the recipe below. This definitely put a pleasant smell in the air. I didn’t recognize it right away since I was in the kitchen working, but once I left and came back I could tell it was there. It’s not overpowering; it just happily lingers. I love that you can continue to use this time and time again. Again, this was another great chemical-free solution to my issue. Success!

One whole orange, quartered
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 T whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
A shake of grated nutmeg

Overall, I was able to get a lot of this work done during nap time. As to not feel like I am cleaning all day long (which I still feel like I am), I set my microwave’s kitchen timer for cleaning. I usually set it for 30 minutes, but because of the scope of today’s work, I set it for 60 minutes. I find that I am way more productive when I am racing against the clock; you can get a lot done in 30 minutes! When that timer beeps I drop what I’m doing—hands up, Top Chef style.

For now, my kitchen is funkless, but give it about 24 hours for something else to happen; I have a toddler and lots of meals to cook. Oh well, better enjoy it while it lasts.