Homemade Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

I have a big sweet tooth. I LOVE dessert. Cakes, pies, cookies, brownies. You name it, I love it. Combine my love of dessert with being pregnant and you get intense "I NEED IT NOW!" cravings for something sweet. Last week I really wanted a cupcake but it was Monday. The two "good" bakeries near my house are both closed on Mondays so I decided to take matters into my own hands and make cupcakes. These cupcakes were moist and the addition of the homemade chocolate frosting made them rich and decadent. I was a very happy pregnant woman! 

Yellow Cupcakes

Ingredients

2 cups cake flour (I didn't have cake flour so I subbed AP flour and they still came out great)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Using a mixer cream butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Now alternate adding dry ingredients and milk in three batches, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix one final time. Fill paper lined muffin tins 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until cake is done but not brown. Cool before frosting. 

Chocolate Frosting
Adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk
2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

In a large bowl beat butter and cocoa together until combined. Add milk and vanilla, beat until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners sugar until desired consistency is reached. Adjust with more milk or confectioners sugar if necessary. Frost cupcakes. 

Crock Pot Lemon Chicken and Brown Rice Soup

We are admittedly not big soup lovers but when the weather gets frigid like it has been lately a nice bowl of soup is the perfect thing to warm you up. I saw this recipe on Sweet Anna's and I was intrigued by the addition of lemon to chicken soup. My husband loved the flavor of this and has actually requested that I make it again. This is big. He claims to hate soup so I am glad that I have at least one cheap, easy and delicious soup recipe that he enjoys. 

Ingredients:
1 small onion, diced
2 large carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups leftover cooked chicken (or raw boneless breast or thighs!)
8 cups chicken stock
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 cups cooked brown rice
juice of two large lemons

Directions:
Dump everything but the rice into the slow cooker.  Cook on low for 6 hours or until veggies are tender. To serve place cooked rice in bowl and ladle soup over. Enjoy!

Super Easy French Bread In the Bread Machine

I love my bread machine. I use it multiple times a week. I'm all about saving money and cooking from scratch and my bread machine helps me achieve that quickly and easily. I actually bought mine used at the thrift store for $7 or $8 and it has been going strong for over a year. Most of the time I use it to make dough and then bake the final product in the oven. I like having more control over the cooking process and find my bread comes out fluffier and it rises better vs when I cook it in the bread machine.

This recipe for French Bread is super easy (hence the title) and it is really tasty. Rini and Charlie love eating it hot out of the oven slathered with butter. I like to use it to make French Bread Pizza or sandwiches.

Ingredients 
Recipe from Food.com

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 4 Cups Bread Flour (I use half unbleached AP flour and half whole wheat)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Yeast

Directions

Add Ingredients to the pan in the order listed by the manufacturer of your bread machine (mine calls for wet ingredients first followed by the dry ingredients). Run machine on the dough cycle. Shape dough into 2 long skinny loaves and place on a greased baking sheet. Cut slits in the top of dough and allow to rise, covered, in a warm place for about 30 minutes. Brush the top of each loaf with egg white and bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes (loaf is done when light golden brown) 

Apple Cheddar Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

This recipe combine two of my favorite things - meatballs and Thanksgiving or at least flavors that are reminiscent of Thanksgiving. We are not big fans of ground turkey in this house as it is usually dry and not as flavorful as beef. However Whole Foods carries all dark meat ground turkey and it was great in this recipe. This is one of my husbands favorites although the toddler was not a fan of "raisins" in her meatballs. 2 year olds are tough critics.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (I used dark meat)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tsp dried or fresh minced onion
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 green apple, shredded
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dried cranberries

Glaze

• 3/4 cup apple juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• dash of crushed red pepper flakes
• cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons cold water
• 2 teaspoons corn starch

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl mix all the meatball ingredients until thoroughly combined. Shape into golf ball sized meatballs and place onto a greased cookie sheet. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until meatballs are browned and cooked through. Toss cooked meatballs in the glaze and serve. 

For the glaze: Mix together cornstarch and cold water until smooth, set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in small sauce pan over medium heat. When glaze starts to bubble whisk in cornstarch slurry and stir rapidly. When glaze is desired consistency remove from heat. Serve over meatballs. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Is there any better flavor combination than peanut butter and chocolate? In this house we tend to think not. When I saw this recipe I knew that it would be a hit with my family and it did not disappoint. The cake is super moist and the chocolate/pb glaze gives it a little extra shot of flavor. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

(Slightly Adapted from About.com)

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter (I prefer chunky)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup milk
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Glaze/frosting

• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-inch Bundt pan.

In large bowl combine all ingredients except chocolate chips and beat on low speed until combined; then beat three minutes at medium speed. By hand, stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Spoon batter into pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes until set, brown, and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then loosen edges and turn pan onto serving plate. Cool completely, then frost.

To make frosting - In a double boiler melt 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips with 1/3 cup peanut butter, stirring until smooth. Spoon over cake.