McDonalds Shamrock Shake

So I haven't ever tried the shamrock shake that is at McDonalds in March. My hubby started talking about it the other day and saying how excited he was for March and to go to McDonalds to get this special shake. Then as I was going through pinterest the next day guess what I came across? This recipe!! So I had to give it a shot. It turned out pretty good. The original recipe said 1/4-1/2 tsp of mint extract, but I even thought that 1/4 was too much mint flavoring. I would even say 1/8-1/4 tsp. 1/2 would be way too much. Anyway, you all should give this recipe a try... it's delicious! :)

SHAMROCK SHAKE

Craving Comfort

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1/4 tsp mint extract
• 9 drops green food coloring

Optional decorating ingredients:

• Chocolate syrup
• Whipped Cream
• Green sprinkles

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth.
2. Pour shamrock shake into glass.
3. Top with whipped cream and green sprinkles.
4. ENJOY!

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen heart shaped cookies

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

two peas & their pod

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies cut into heart shapes for Valentine's Day.

ingredients:

1 box red velvet cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar, for rolling the cookies
Heart shaped cookie cutter, optional

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and flour. Whisk until clumps disappear. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together cake mix, flour, eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Take about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough and form into a ball. Roll the ball in powdered sugar until fully coated. Place cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are set and cookies begin to crack.

3. Let cookies sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes. If desired, cut cookies into heart shapes, using a heart shaped cookie cutter. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack and cool completely. Eat the cookie scraps:)

Note-you don't have to cut the cookies into heart shapes. They are great round too!

Supreme Buffalo Nachos

If you guys really know my husband you'll know that if he hears the word chicken and hot buffalo sauce then he will be there in the blink of an eye. He LOVES his spicy buffalo wings. I figured this would be a good superbowl food as well. Don't you agree?? :) I also made my Oreo Pie and Nutella fruit dip. Both of which are already posted here on my website :)

Supreme Buffalo Nachos

Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe from Jaime Cooks it up

4-5 C tortilla chips (several big handfuls)

2 C shredded Rotisserie chicken

2-3 T Franks Red Hot Wing Buffalo Sauce

2 C cheddar cheese, shredded

1 C celery, chopped

Blue Cheese Salad Dressing (Lighthouse brand works best)

1. Spread several large handfuls of tortilla chips out over a large cookie sheet, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Unwrap your rotisserie chicken extraordinaire. Shred about 2 cups of the chicken up with a couple of forks.

3. Give thanks for this spicy wing sauce found at grocery stores everywhere. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of sauce over the top of your chicken. Be careful if you are super sensitive to spicy food. Just use a little if you don't like a lot of heat.

4. Toss it all together, making sure all of the chicken is covered.

5. Sprinkle about 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese over the top of the tortilla chips. Toss that pretty little pan into the oven and let the cheese get all melted and just a bit bubbly. Watch it close. You don't want it to get overly cooked. Then you'll have dry chips, and crusty cheese. Not a good combination, true?

6. While the chips are busy in the oven, cover the plate of chicken with plastic wrap and microwave it for 2-3 minutes, or until the chicken and sauce are steaming hot.

6. Remove the pan of cheesy chips from the oven and carefully spoon the chicken out evenly over the chips.

7. Add the chopped celery.

8. Drizzle a bit of Blue Cheese dressing here and there over the chips and serve while the chicken and cheese are still warm.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Well, it superbowl Sunday! And somehow for the third year in a row I've been told we're throwing a superbowl party and we all know that means I'll be slaving away in the kitchen while everyone else enjoys the game. This is one of many things I've made for today. Super simple and I love that it cooks itself in the crockpot. :)

Chicken Enchilada Soup (Crock Pot)

Time: 10 min. hands on + 4 or 8 hours crock pot cooking

Yield: 8 servings

Recipe from Jaime Cooks it up

1 (14.5 ounce) can Mexican Style Stewed Tomatoes

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans

2 (15 ounce) cans corn

1/2 C onion, chopped

1/2 C red or green pepper, chopped

2 chicken breasts (I used frozen)

1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce

1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup

2 1/2 C milk

4 chicken bullion cubes (or 4 t bullion granules)

1/2 t lime juice (can be bottled)

1/3 C sour cream

2 T butter

Toppings:

Tortilla Chips

cheddar cheese

cilantro

avocado

1. Pour the whole can of stewed tomatoes into your crock pot, juice included. Diced tomatoes work best...

2. Drain and rinse the black beans and add them to the pot.

3. Drain the corn and add them as well.

4. Roughly chop up 1/2 C onion and 1/2 C of red or green pepper and toss them in.

5. Pour the enchilada sauce into a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the cream of chicken soup, 2 1/2 C milk and then crumble the bullion cubes over the top.

6. Whisk it all together until nice and smooth.

7. Place 2-3 chicken breasts over the vegetables in your crock pot.

8. Pour the sauce over the top of the chicken.

9. Cover your crock and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7-8, depending on how fast your crock pot cooks things.

10. Remove the chicken and place it on a plate. Shred it with a fork.

11. Add the 1/2 t lime juice, 1/3 C sour cream and 2 T butter to the soup. Whisk it in until the butter has melted and the sour cream is well combined.

12. Toss your chicken back into the pot, give it a stir and you are ready to eat.

Serve with tortilla chips and cheddar cheese. Cilantro and avocado are also fabulous.

Enjoy!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Yummy! I absolutely loved this and it's actually pretty easy to make. Enjoy!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Photo & Recipe from Mel's Kitchen

*Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:
4-5 medium russet baking potatoes
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
6 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup finely diced green onions
1/3 cup light sour cream

Toppings:
Sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped green onions
Cooked, diced bacon pieces

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pierce the potatoes all over with the tines of a fork. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for about an hour, until tender and baked through. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them sit for about 20 minutes, until they are cool enough to handle (or use an oven mitt if you don’t want to wait for them to cool slightly). Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the insides of the potatoes. Place the potato chunks in a medium bowl and mash with a fork or a potato masher until the potatoes are broken into smaller chunks.

In a large 4-quart pot, melt the butter over medium heat. When melted, add 1/4 cup of the flour and whisk to combine. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes until lightly browned. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and remaining 1/4 cup flour. Gradually whisk the mixture into the pot, and cook until thick and bubbling, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the potato chunks and salt and pepper. Whisk in the cheddar cheese until it is completely melted. Stir in the green onions and sour cream. Serve immediately with desired toppings.

Lofthouse Style Frosted Sugar Cookies

I've had a favorite sugar cookie recipe for a while now, but I believe that the secret ingredient in sugar cookies is the sour cream. I can almost guarantee that anything made with sour cream is delicious. It makes the cookies so moist. Who actually likes hard crunchy cookies? Not me! As I was searching on pinterest I came across these and they looked divine so I had to try them. Turns out they're just as good as they look. Now I just need to find someone to take some to. I should have halved the recipe. It makes about 4 dozen! Enjoy :)

Lofthouse Style Frosted Sugar Cookies

Cookies:

6 cups flour, divided
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 c. butter, at room temperature
2 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. sour cream

Frosting:

1 c. butter, room temperature
1 t. vanilla extract
4 c. powdered sugar
6 T. heavy cream
Several drops food coloring
Multi-colored Sprinkles

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the flat beater attached, cream the butter and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Dough will be a bit “sticky”. Divide dough into two sections. Flatten into rectangles about 1 1/2 inches thick, then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight or at least two hours until firm.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.

Use the plastic wrap that you chilled the dough in. Dust the top of the dough and then flip and flour the other side, keeping it on the plastic wrap. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes, until pale golden. Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and vanilla. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Once smooth and creamy, add in heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired spreading consistency is achieved. If desired, add food coloring and beat until combined.

Once cookies have cooled completely, frost and add sprinkles. Allow frosting to set, then store in an air-tight container. Let cookies sit for several hours before serving to allow the flavors to develop.

Makes: 4 1/2 dozen cookies

Chunky Avocado Salsa

Mmm! You guys are going to love this. It's SO easy to make. I have a couple suggestions for you all though. Make sure if you buy your avocados the day of, make sure they're ripe! Mine were slightly hard, but it still tastes AMAZING! Also, I don't really like the Tapatio sauce. I thought it smelt weird and tasted even weirder so I only put in a couple drops. I didn't have any of the garlic pepper and couldn't find it at Target today, but the garlic salt sure does do the trick.

Chunky Avocado Salsa

1 medium tomato

2 avocados

1 cup of sweet white corn (I get a frozen bag from Costco)

1 Bushel of green onions

1 can of black beans
, drained
Garlic Pepper (I never have this, so I leave it out)

Garlic salt w/ parsley

Tapatio Sauce



Place drained black beans and corn into a large bowl. 
Dice up the tomato and green onions and add them in the bowl.
 Season with the garlic pepper, garlic salt and tapatio sauce to taste. 
Mix everything around and then taste it to check seasoning.

 Add chopped avocado and mix it around one more time (I do the avocado last so the little diced pieces don’t get all mushy in the initial mixing process).