Mini Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Frosting

I have some pretty exciting news to share and it is not simply these gorgeous mini cupcakes!

Bri and I adopted a new kitty into our family!! Benny is now a big brother!  We found this amazing five-month old kitten through Hyde Park Cats and per a suggestion from our vet, we adopted him.  Benny has been a little hyperactive and crazy and we think its because he is young and we are not home very often.  So, we got a playmate for him!  Welcome to the family, Nigel!

And now, onto those cupcakes.  Mini cupcakes are pretty amazing plus they are a great way to celebrate our new little guy.  In fact, I have decided to eat healthy by only eating desserts that are mini or homemade.  Not sure this is considered a "diet," but at least it helps me focus on portion control without feeling like I'm really giving anything up.  And lets be honest, I don't think I can totally give up sweets.  I saw this recipe on How Sweet It Is and I simply adapted the cupcakes to include some slightly lighter ingredients and I made them mini which changes the baking time a bit.


Mini Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients:
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla
3/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
Frosting:
4 oz low-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup natural, creamy peanut butter (I love Skippy)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
skim milk, if needed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line 24 mini cupcake wells with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar with unsalted butter.  Beat in the egg until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the flours with the baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add 1/3 of this mixture to the wet ingredients and beat until just combined.  Add in about 1/2 of the milk and 1/2 tbsp of vanilla and beat to combine.  Repeat with the flour mixture, then the rest of the milk/vanilla and then end with the rest of the flour mixture.  Divide the batter into your cupcake pan so that each well is about 3/4 of the way full.
4. Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes.  Let cool completely.
5. To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter in a bowl until smooth.  Beat in the sugars and vanilla until creamy.  Add in a few tsp of milk if your mixture is too thick.  Frost those cupcakes!

Enjoy :)

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Skillet Cookies

For the past 10 weeks, I have been updating you on my Half Marathon progress.  Well, now it is over! So, I guess I'll update you on my post-half marathon progress.  It took me a while to get back out there running.  I was a little lazy and a little sore.  However, after a difficult three mile run the Tuesday after, I attempted a 4 mile run on Wednesday and felt much better.  By Friday and Saturday, I was feeling like myself again and even got up to a 6 mile run.  I also did my cross training work out video which was especially difficult because of my sore legs and because I skipped it the week before.  All in all, it was good and I am glad I pushed myself to get back into my routine.  Now, I need to find another Half to train for.  I am totally addicted!

Today's recipe is super yummy and definitely something you should all indulge in.  I have cute miniature cast iron skillets and I have decided that the best use for them is to make miniature skillet cookies.  These are perfectly sized to be split by Bri and I and they encourage the use of ice cream as a topping.  Don't they sound wonderful?  Last week, I made Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies in them and threw in some chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.  YUM! I used my recipe for whole wheat peanut butter oatmeal cookies and halved it.  Then, the batter fit perfectly into my two miniature skillets.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Skillet Cookies

Ingredients:
Half Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
1/2 cup chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Directions:
1. Make the cookie dough according to directions and mix in the peanut butter cups.  Divide the batter between the two mini skillets.
2. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cookie just begins to brown.

Enjoy :)

My First Half Marathon and a Memorial Day Dessert!

Bri caught a great photo of my crossing the Finish Line!

I did it! I ran my first Half Marathon in an ACTUAL race.  Last summer, I ran the distance, but I just went out there and did it on my own.  This year, I got my friends, Lauren and Patrick to do it with me and we had a blast.

We stayed together all the way through mile 10 and somehow kept a pretty clipped 9:30 mile pace.  Then, between 10 and 11, there was this AWFUL hill.  I had to walk, Patrick (good for him) ran it, and Lauren slowed down a bit.  I spent the last 2 miles attempting to catch up with Patrick which was great motivation because I ended up finished with about a 9 minute mile pace and only 30 seconds behind Patrick.  My finishing time was 2:07 and this is about 13 minutes faster than I was really expecting.  It was amazing that we all did this for the first time and were so great! We enjoyed our free beer and snacks afterwards and, after a quick shower, got all our friends and family together to go out for an amazing brunch at the Great Dane.

Champs :)

My Results

I was so happy to have the support of my family and Bri and we had a really nice day together.  Today my parents are packing up some of my room and heading home.  Next weekend, I have to take Teacher Tests back in IL and the weekend after that I move out! Basically, this was my last big hoorah in Madison and I can't think of a better way to have spent it.  I am so proud that I dedicated the last few months to training for this and I feel great!

Last year, I made adorable Skinny Memorial Day Cheesecakes and I just had to share them again here.  They are the perfect dessert for the holiday and they are a great way to indulge without feeling too guilty.  However, I just ran a Half Marathon, so I might go out an eat something a little more guilty than this :).

Skinny Memorial Day Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (adapted from Skinny Taste) 

Ingredients:

12 vanilla wafers

1 8 oz package of 1/3 less fat cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

6 oz fat-free vanilla greek yogurt

2 large egg whites

1 tbsp flour

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

strawberries and blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350, line a cupcake tray with 12 liners, and place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each one.

2. In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Beat in the sugar and vanilla.  Slowly beat in the greek yogurt, egg whites, and flour until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Fill each cupcake well about 1/2 full and bake for about 25 minutes.  Let cool.

4. Top each mini cheesecake with some sliced strawberries and blueberries and let chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

Enjoy :)

Peanut Butter Nutella Swirled Mini Cheesecakes with Oreo Crust

I was proposed to by another math teacher because of these.  She said she was willing to leave her husband if it meant getting to eat these Peanut Butter Nutella Swirled Mini Cheesecakes with Oreo Crust.  They were pretty fantastic.

But first, I can't believe that tomorrow is my Half Marathon! I have been training for over 10 weeks now and it totally snuck up on me.  I feel pretty ready, but I am still nervous! I hope that the weather is nice and I am excited to run it with my friends, Lauren and Patrick.

I am also pretty darn excited about this long weekend.  These past few weeks of school have been pretty crazy.  I started teaching Pre-Calculus in addition to my Geometry block and two Algebra 2 blocks.  Having three preps is hectic and for a while I wasn't really sure of myself.  I couldn't keep all of my plans straight! However, now that I have gotten used to it, I feel much more confident and I am glad that I took on the challenge of teaching all of my cooperating teacher's classes because it has made me feel better prepared for next year.

Speaking of next year... I am going to have my own classroom! This is slowly sinking in and I keep getting nervous and excited about everything that goes with teaching.  I am so nervous for the first day and I keep running through what I want to say.  I am also nervous about having questions or being unsure of myself and NOT having a cooperating teacher there to help.  I am sure that once this all gets going it will be okay, but right now I feel like I have a million things on my mind! Any teachers out there with any words of wisdom about the first year?

And, back to the cheesecake.  Keeping up with cooking and baking while also trying to be the best teacher ever is difficult  but it keeps me happy! This dessert was super yummy and I shared with my teacher friends in the math department.  I was inspired by Chocolate Therapy and then got creative with the rest!

Peanut Butter Nutella Swirled Cheesecakes with Oreo Crust

Ingredients:
16 oreos
16 oz light cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup nutella

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a cupcake pan with 16 liners.
2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar until well combined.  Beat in the vanilla and peanut butter until smooth and creamy.  Sprinkle flour over the mixture and beat to combine.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Scrape down sides and beat to combine.
3. Place an oreo in the bottom of each cupcake well.  Fill the cupcake to the top with your cheesecake batter.  Drop 1/2 tbsp of nutella on the top of each cupcake and, using a tooth pick, swirl.

4.  Bake for 20 minutes or until cheesecakes are no longer wobbly.  Let cool.  Serve same day or place in fridge overnight.

Enjoy :)

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes with Pretzel Crust

When Tamara and I were planning a dinner for Courtney's birthday, Tamara came up with an amazing sounding cheesecake idea: Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcakes with Pretzel Crust and Salted Caramel Glaze.  Yea, she's a genius.

I can't wait to share this recipe, but I am also excited to share my Half Marathon Training! I finally made it up to the double digits and Saturday was my 10 mile run! It went really well and I got to run on a beautiful day through the Madison Arboretum.  It was awesome.  This week I have some shorter runs planned for during the week and then on Saturday, I am running in the Madison Crazylegs Race! I can't wait! I've wanted to run this race all through my college career, but I have always been busy.  Finally, my senior year, I am crossing this one off my bucket list!

Speaking of bucket lists, I got another item checked off when my parents came to town Friday for the UW Marching Band Concert.  We went out for dinner at Roast, saw the concert, and then headed to the Ivory Room for a fun night of dueling pianos.  The bucket list item: my mom and I took a shot together! It was super cute.  We had a really fun time and it was awesome to have them here in Madison.

The rest of the weekend was jam packed with running, DTS Sister Bonding Sleepover, DTS Activation, and lesson planning.  I also spent some time coming up with new recipes and I can't wait to tell you about them!  I hope that everyone has a lovely day and enjoys this amazing recipe for Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes with Pretzel Crust!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes with Pretzel Crust
(Cheesecake Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour and Caramel Sauce adapted from Cooking Channel)

Ingredients:
For the Crust:
1 1/4 cups crushed pretzels
4 tbsp powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
For the Cheesecake:
16 oz light cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 eggs
3 tsp vanilla
1 cup mini chocolate chips
For the Salted Caramel Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp sea salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 and place 16 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the crushed pretzels, powdered sugar, and salt.  Pour melted butter over the mixture and stir to combine.  Place 2 tbsp of pretzel mixture into each cupcake liner and, using a small glass, press the crust into the pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Let cool.
3. Lower the oven temperature to 325.  In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in the sugar until well combined.  Beat in the cream, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.  Beat on high for a few minutes until light and fluffy.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Pour batter into cupcake wells until it is almost to the top.  Bake for 30 minutes or until cheesecakes are no longer wobbly.  Let cool for an hour and then place in fridge for 1 hour.
4.  To make the caramel sauce, heat the sugar with the water in a medium pot over medium heat until completely dissolved.  Increase the heat and bring to a boil.  Continue to cook, without stirring, until your mixture is a deep amber color.  Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and cream.  Mixture will bubble violently.  Whisk until well combined and whisk in the salt.  Let cool completely.  Mixture will thicken as it cools.  Drizzle over cooled cheesecakes.  You can store the extra caramel sauce in the fridge.

Enjoy :)

Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cheesecake

I have been so busy lately that I still haven't told you all what I made for Valentine's Day!

I spent Valentine's Day in an amazing way with my best girl friends.  We got together, ate heart shaped pizza, had my heart shaped dessert, and watched Grey's Anatomy.  Afterwards, we got some half priced sangria at Icon and it was awesome.  Overall, it was a truly amazing night!

With all my craziness at school, it is so nice to be able to spend nights like that with amazing people.  School has been going really well!  Today I gave my first Team Test in geometry and I worked on a fun game for Friday where students will have to sort shapes based on their special properties.  I am trying really hard to make math interactive so that students are motivated while constantly reinforcing important concepts and ensuring that students are meeting standards.  Math should be fun and so I am doing as much as I can to make it that way!

Now it's time to tell you what I brought to girls night: Heart Shaped Red Velvet Cheesecakes with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting...yep!

Red Velvet Cheesecake (adapted from Baked By Rachel)

Ingredients:
10 oreos
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
12 oz light cream cheese
1 tbsp light sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tsp red food coloring
1 egg

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz light cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease 3 4 inch cheesecake pans (I had heart shaped ones).
2. In a food processor, crush oreos until they are crumbs.  Mix in the melted butter.  Divide into the three pans and press into the bottoms and a little up the sides. Place in oven for 5 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to 325.
4. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar and sour cream until well combined.  Beat in the egg, cocoa powder, and food coloring until well combined.  Divide among the three pans.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the middles are not longer wobbly. Let cool for 1 hour.  Then, wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
5.  To make the whipped cream cheese frosting: in a large bowl beat the cream cheese with the sugar.  Beat in the whipping cream and vanilla and beat on high until stiff peaks form.  Top cheesecakes with frosting.

Enjoy :)

Baked Whole Wheat Apple Cider Donuts

Today is election day and it is also the first election that I have voted in! This is all very exciting and it is really fun to be on a college campus.  Also, Madison is a great place to witness politics in action.  Not only is it the state capitol, but it is also a place filled with many different people and with many different views.

Now, I am sitting here, writing this post, because I just can't wait to share this fun recipe and I am too anxious just watching the election results roll in.  This is the most invested in an election I have ever been.  It has been a great learning experience for me and, as my teaching career takes off, I can't wait to become more knowledgeable about government and politics in the future!

I know that politics can be stressful.  Just this night is crazy exciting.  So, grab one of these awesome donuts and a nice cup of warm apple cider.  Curl up in front of the TV and try to relax with all this crazy election stuff going on. Or, bake in the morning to celebrate or comfort yourself with...whatever you do just enjoy these great mini donuts!

Baked Whole Wheat Apple Cider Donuts (adapted from TheKitchn)
makes 48 mini donuts

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup honey (I used some honey and some agave nectar)
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup non-fat greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
2 tbsp canola oil
1 apple, peeled and chopped (I used a large granny smith apple)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a mini donut pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, honey, apple cider, greek yogurt, and canola oil.  Mix until well combined.  Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined.
4.  Fill the donut pan about 3/4 full with the batter and then place pieces of apple on top.
5.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Continue until you use up all your batter.  Let cool and dust with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or just enjoy plain!

Enjoy :)

Apple Oatmeal Muffins

For this week's Foodie Friends Friday, I'm linking up this amazing recipe for On-the-Go Oatmeal Cups.  I am so glad that I found this recipe over at With Style and Grace because it was super easy, healthy, and totally adaptable! I made it with apples and raisins, but I can definitely see other combos in my future (peanut butter/banana, nutella, blueberry, strawberry...the options are truly endless!).  I hope that you enjoy this recipe and have a happy Friday!

Mini On-The-Go Apple Oatmeal Cups
(makes 24 mini cups plus 5 large cups or 36 mini cups)

Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 1/2 cups plain almond milk
1/2 cup egg whites
1/4 cup plain applesauce
1 apple, peeled and chopped (I used Granny Smith)
1/4 cup raisins

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a mini muffin pan.
2.  Beat the egg whites, almond milk, and applesauce together in a large bowl.
3.  In another bowl, whisk the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together.  Pour this mixture into the almond milk mixture and mix to combine.
4.  Pour the batter into the muffin pan, filling each well about 3/4 full-full.  Bake for about 30-35 minutes.  The mini cups will be done closer to 30 and the large ones may take a bit longer.

Enjoy :)

It's time for another Foodie Friends Friday! Last week these three lucky winners won a coupon from Daiya Cheese:

Fan Drawing:

1. Jessica

2. Tara, Let's Eat Beef Stew

Blogger Drawing:

1. High Heels and Grills Tin Foil Dinners

2. A lil Country Sugar Roasted Balsamic Zucchini

3. Life and Lovebugs Vegetarian Chili

4. A Girl's Reflection Italian Wedding Cookies

And here are the winner's from last week's party!

#1 Sweet Heat Chefs- Dark Chocolate Covered Pumpkin Truffles

#2 Marlys This and That- Baked Rice with Eggplant and Zucchini

#3 Busy Vegetarian Mom- Vegan Philly Cheese Steak

#1 Marlys This and That- Baked Rice with Eggplant and Zucchini

#2 Family Food Finds- Vegan Crunch Wrap

#3 Pint Sized Baker- Ginger and Lime Sandwich Cookies

This week is sponsored by A Mustard Seed Dream and three randomly picked, lucky winners will win a Kitchen Canister Decal!

But first, here are this week's co-hosts:

Foodie Friends Friday http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom http://www.busyvegetarianmom.com

Robyn's View http://www.robynsviewathome.blogspot.com

Angie at A lil Country Sugar  http://alilcountrysugar.blogspot.com/  

Marlys at This and That  http://marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com/

Lois at  Walking on Sunshine http://wifeofthecolonel.blogspot.com/

Lindsey at Family Food Finds  http://www.familyfoodfinds.com

Cindy at Cindys Recipes and Writings  http://www.cindysrecipesandwritings.com

R Dawn at Spatulas on Parade  http://www.spatulasonparade.blogspot.com

Ericka at Chef Picky Kid  http://www.chefpickykid.com

Michelle at  From Calculus to Cupcakes http://www.fromcalculustocupcakes.blogspot.com

Cynthia at Feeding Big  http://www.feedingbig.blogspot.com

Jodie at Binomial Baker http://www.binomialbaker.blogspot.com

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Mini Morning Banana Muffins

It felt like a muffin kind of morning and so I decided to whip up some banana muffins.  I found a yummy sounding recipe over at How Sweet It Is and then instead of a brown butter glaze, I opted for plain-old-muffins.

Last night, I had a super nice dinner with my co-site director, Anna, and director, Lucy.  We went to Kona Grill where from 5:30-7:30 in the "seat yourself" section, you can participate in Happy Hour.  They have tons of half-priced appetizers, small meals, sushi, and of course, drinks.  It was exciting because I am finally 21 and I got to order a drink and get "carded" for real for the first time! I love the friends that I make through camp.  We had a great time and it was a nice way to make a Wednesday summer evening feel a little more special.

Afterwards, I got to be super early and of course, woke up too early once again.  Thus, the muffins.

Mini Banana Muffins
makes 36

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 egg
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup skim milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 bananas, mashed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking soda, and spices.
3. In a large bowl, whisk egg and brown sugar together until well combined.  Whisk in the butter, milk and vanilla.  Whisk in the banana.  Stir in flour mixture until just combined.  Pour into muffin pans, filling about 3/4 full, and bake for 12 minutes.
Enjoy :)

...I might even slather some nutella or peanut butter on top of these...

Golden Birthday Part 1: Fun Funfetti Cupcakes

Today is my Golden Birthday!!! That's right, I am 21 on the 21st and I couldn't be more excited! I can't believe it is finally here! I will be going out tonight and I can't wait to share my adventures tomorrow, but first, I want to share a little about yesterday...

Yesterday was not quite my birthday, but it was the day I celebrated at camp with my staff and campers.  It was such a great day! My friend and co-site director Anna, make an awesome cake to share with the staff in the morning.  It was so sweet of her! She is one of my good friends and she will be partaking in the shenanigans tonight!

Then, my campers sang to me in the morning and were just so cute! We had a great day at camp, and then I brought it treats for my birthday.  I wanted to make something homemade and fun so I decided on mini cupcakes.  I make funfetti cupcakes based on a recipe I found at How Sweet It Is and then I made a vanilla buttercream and chocolate frosting.  I also decided it would be cute to give the campers to recipe.  Here is what they got:

Jodie’s Fun Funfetti Cupcakes

Makes 12-14 large cupcakes or 24-30 mini cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla

1/3 cup skim milk

1/3 cup sprinkles

more sprinkles for decoration

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 and line a cupcake pan with liners.

2.     In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder together.  Set aside.

3.     In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.   Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.  Alternate adding the flour mixture with the milk.  Start with 1/3 of the flour, then ½ milk, then 1/3 flour, ½ milk, and last 1/3 of the flour.  Stir in the sprinkles.

4.     Fill cupcake holes about 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes for big cupcakes and about 14-15 minutes for mini cupcakes.

Chocolate Frosting Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter 3 oz low-fat cream cheese 1 cup dark chocolate chips 1/4 cup skim milk 2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla Directions: Beat the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy.  Beat in the powdered sugar and then slowly add the milk and vanilla.  Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl on high, stirring after 30 seconds, until melted.  Beat in the chocolate.  Frost cooled cupcakes!

Vanilla Frosting Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter 2 cups powdered sugar 1 Tbsp vanilla skim milk, if needed Directions: Beat the butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in the powdered sugar and then slowly add the vanilla. Add about 1 Tbsp of milk at a time, if needed, to get the consistency you want.  Frost cooled cupcakes!

Now, I am off for a nice 8ish mile run before the rest of my birthday fun commences.  I think there is a brunch involved, a renewing of my license, and then my friends and I are headed downtown for a night out in Chicago.  We are doing dinner, bars, and then staying at a hotel...I can't wait!!! OMG I'M 21!!!!

Pizza Puffs

Today I have a fun recipe for yet another appetizer that can be made in cupcake form.  These pizza puffs are the perfect bite-sized appetizer for a kids birthday party.  They are super simple and you end up with an adorable bite of pizza.  Just dip in marinara sauce and you are ready to go!  I made the basic version, but the original recipe has a bunch of ideas for different flavors of pizza, so you should definitely check it out.  Or, just add the flavors that you enjoy! My version below is for about 100 mini puffs.

Pizza Puffs (adapted from Six in the Suburbs)

Ingredients:
3 3/4 cups flour
3 3/4 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 3/4 cups skim milk
5 eggs
5 cups low-fat mozzarella cheese
Marinara Sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 and lightly grease a mini muffin pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and garlic together.
3. In a stand mixer, whisk the milk, eggs, and mozzarella cheese together until the eggs are well combined. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients until incorporated.
4. Fill each cup in the mini muffin pan about 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm and with marinara sauce for dipping.  We had the marinara sauce in a mini slow-cooker with the pizza puffs nearby and it was perfect for a large party! You can also place the pizza puffs in the fridge and then reheat them by placing them in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes.
Enjoy :)

Mac and Cheese Cupcakes

Happy Father's Day!

I love the holidays that celebrate things that are truly important to everyone.  Father's day is one of those holidays.  It is a day where everyone gets to really think about a man in their life who has loved and supported them unconditionally.  My dad, and I might be slightly biased, is the best.  My dad has five kids! He truly made a career out of having children.  He started when he was 23 and he had his last kid when he was 46.  He has been raising children for most of his life, and, I've gotta say, he's pretty good at it.

I love my dad so much.  We are so similar and sometimes I'm amazed at how much I act, talk, and look like him.  Truly, it's a little scary.  From girl scouts, to musical theater productions, to school performances, he has always been there.  He is absolutely fantastic.  And now, he is fully supportive of all my endeavors with my education and other life experiences.  I can't express how much that means to me.  Although I complain about how I take after him, big nose and all, I truly love it.  He is an amazing man and I feel truly blessed to have him as a role model.  I know that one day I will have a family and I will continue to take after my dad and that is something I am relieved and excited about.

Thanks Daddy for being the World's Greatest Dad! I love you!

Today, I am also bringing you a fantastic little appetizer that would really be a hit at any party.  So, if you are having a big family dinner, brunch, lunch or whatever, you should make these.  They are mini mac and cheese cupcakes.  I made them for my brother's graduation party figuring that the little kids and the high schoolers would love them.  However, I found that they really just brought out the kid in everyone who was there and they were a huge hit.  I made a different variation of these before, but this recipe was even better! The mac and cheese was creamy and delicious, the bites were small enough to pop in your mouth all at once, and they can be made ahead and just warmed up the day of! The recipe listed below was adapted and doubled from the original and it made about 200 mini cupcakes.  If you want less, and you probably do, just make 1/2 or 1/4.  However, they do re-heat nicely so maybe you do want 200! They are pretty delish :)

Mini Mac and Cheese Cupcakes (adapted from Macaroni and Cheesecake)

Ingredients:
2 lb. macaroni noodles
6 tbsp butter
8 tbsp flour
2 cups skim milk
1 cup half and half (I used fat-free)
4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups milk cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
4 extra large egg yolks
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp paprika

Directions:
1. Cook macaroni noodles according to directions on box, drain and place back into a very large bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 425 and grease or place mini cupcake papers in a mini cupcake pan.  I did papers because they were easier to remove and provided less clean up in between batches, but you don't need to use them as the mac and cheese cupcakes will stay together.
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour for about 1 minute.  Pour in the milk and half and half and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.  Pour in the sharp cheddar, mild cheddar, and parmesan.  Continue to stir until cheese melts.  Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in the egg yolks, salt, nutmeg and paprika.
4. Pour the cheese sauce into the large bowl of pasta and toss to coat the pasta evenly.  Place spoonfuls of mac and cheese into each cupcake well, fill to the top and sprinkle with a little extra parmesan cheese, and bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.  Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Or: place in fridge and when you are ready to eat them heat in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Enjoy :)