Girls are known for "eating their feelings." Even though we're going to try to resist this, there are those moments when you just need something. A good thing can be great in moderation. Here you'll find the recipes that do the trick for us :)
Best served with good friends and laughter.
J's Easy Tailgating Dip:
Simple ingredients and re-heats perfectly, as if any will be left over!
1 stick butter
1 package 8 oz (low fat) cream cheese
1 can white corn (do not drain)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons chopped jalapenos (adjust to taste)
In a pan on medium heat, melt butter. Warm to medium high and melt in cream cheese. Next, poor in white corn and the shredded cheese. When shredded cheese is partially melted, add jalapenos. Be careful not to burn, but this dish is fantastic when served hot. Grab some chips (our favorite is Scoops) and dive in!
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Dirt Cake (calm version):
For a cute little dessert for you and the girls
1 package Oreo cookies
1/4 cup softened butter
1 (8 oz) package softened cream cheese
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 packages instant chocolate (or one chocolate/one vanilla) pudding mix
1 (12 oz) container whipped topping
15(ish) gummy worms
Place all the cookies in a big ziplock bag and roll over with a rolling pin until they are nicely crumbled. In a large bowl, mix the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Beat on a low speed, then raise to medium speed until smooth. Add the pudding mix and 1% milk (instructions on pudding box) and continue to beat until they're well combined without any little pudding-mix-blobs. Stir in the whipped topping with a spatula. In an ungreased pan, layer the mixtures: cookie crumbs, pudding mix, cookie crumbs, pudding mix, ending with a layer of cookie crumbs. Carefully scoop into cute (perferably clear for the layers) bowls and place gummy worms on top. Serve and enjoy!
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Dirt Cake (upset version):
For when you feel like it, were treated like it, or want to shove someone in it!
1 package Oreo cookies (minus the few that you eat during process)
1 (8 oz) softened cream cheese
About 1 cup of confectioners' sugar (don't measure to harshly, just dump)
2 packages instant chocolate pudding mix
1 (12 oz) container Cool Whip
A bunch of gummy worms
Double bag the cookies in a ziplock bag and beat your frustrations out until they are nicely crumbled. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar (after throwing some around the kitchen), pudding, and 2% milk (instructions on back of pudding box). Stir in the Cool Whip after putting some on your friends' noses. Get a good finger-full to make sure it's delicious. Get a big pan, ungreased. Place 1/2 the cookie crumbs on the bottom, pour in the pudding mix, then the other half of cookies. Next- throw the gummy worms around (admire that they're gummy bears in larva form) on top. Get as many spoons as people present, place in pan in the middle of table, and have at it! Enjoy, babe, 'cause these calories don't count tonight.
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Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich
This takes a few minutes, but it's totally worth it
2 slices thick white bread
2 slices cheddar cheese (provolone is good too)
1 cooked chicken breast
2 strips bacon
1 tablespoon red pepper
2 tablespoons mayonaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
A dash of pepper
1 tablespoon ranch dressing
2 slices tomato
a few shreds of lettuce
First, toast the bread until they are just past the slightly-crunchy stage, but have yet to get too dark. In a small bowl, combine the red pepper, mayo, salt, and dash of pepper. Place the cheese on the chicken breast, and warm in the microwave on low for about two minutes. Next, cook the bacon to whichever level of crunch you prefer. On one slice of toast, spread the mayo mixture. Put the chicken, cheese, tomato, lettuce, and bacon on this slice. Before putting on the second slice of toast, spread the ranch on it. Scarf down and be satisfied when you make a complete mess of your plate. Do not feel judged when you slop up the fallen sauces with your last bite of toast!
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Red Velvet S.A.D. Cupcakes
Single and lovin' it, or taken and lovin' him, you'll still love these.
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 vegetable oil
2/3 cup room temperature buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until nice and smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed (so it doesn't fly everywhere), beat until it's all mixed together. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy (and try no to eat all of it before you put it on the cakes).
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Southern Sausage and Grits
For any occasion, but this is what I'm making for my birthday dinner this year!
1 (19 ounce) sausage
3 peppers (of any color, I particularly like yellow, but mixing them is pretty)
1 sliced large sweet onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 to 2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Take the sausage out of its casing and throw that away, because it's gross. Cook the sausage (who needs a man to make the meat?) and the rest of ingredients in a large skillet over med-high, stirring until sausage crumbles and is all brown (no pink- not for sausage) and vegetables are tender.
-Side note: I would suggest letting the sausage sizzle on its own for just a moment before adding the veggies if you're a germaphobe-
Serve over the following YUMMY grits
Parmesan Cheese Grits
(serves 4)
1 cup grits (I love yellow grits, but for this dish I prefer white)
4 cups water
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs butter or margarine
1 (5 ounce) pack shredded Parm cheese
Cook the grits as the pack it comes in tells you to, using our 4 cups of water. Stir in the salt, butter, and cheese. Now you're done. Wasn't that easy?? Serve it up and spoon the sausage and peppers on top.
ENJOY!
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St. Patty's Day: Irish Car Bomb
Get your green on, and get your groove on!
1 half shot Bailey's Irish Creme
1 half shot (your favorite) whiskey
1/2 pint (some people do 3/4, it's up to you and your chugging abilities) Guinness beer
If it's not Guinness, it's not an Irish Car Bomb. Pour the Irish Creme in a shot glass, and then the whiskey. Pour (or if you're bad at pouring a beer have someone else do it) the Guinness in a glass with a nice sized rim. Drop the shot in the glass and chug! The longer you wait to drink it, the worse it will taste because the Irish Creme will begin to curdle in the Guinness, and that's gross. Rumor has it that this taste is familiar to that of chocolate milk. I have to admit that I've never had one, but the people that tell me it's good, one being my own father, have generally good taste so I'll trust 'em.
Have a great St. Patty's and get a ride home!
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Homemade Oreos
For the suave baker, who wants "milk's favorite cookie" done the awesome way!
For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar (measure to taste)
1 large egg
Creme filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temp, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (get clear if you're picky about color)
optional gel food dye
1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands,slightly mostly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy. (Optional: Blend in a tiny bit of gel dye until you reach the desired color.)
6. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie OR get a small spatula and get that creme on there any way you can (this may make a mess, but a yummy one so no worries). Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk!
------------
Dirt Cake (calm version):
For a cute little dessert for you and the girls
1 package Oreo cookies
1/4 cup softened butter
1 (8 oz) package softened cream cheese
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 packages instant chocolate (or one chocolate/one vanilla) pudding mix
1 (12 oz) container whipped topping
15(ish) gummy worms
Place all the cookies in a big ziplock bag and roll over with a rolling pin until they are nicely crumbled. In a large bowl, mix the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Beat on a low speed, then raise to medium speed until smooth. Add the pudding mix and 1% milk (instructions on pudding box) and continue to beat until they're well combined without any little pudding-mix-blobs. Stir in the whipped topping with a spatula. In an ungreased pan, layer the mixtures: cookie crumbs, pudding mix, cookie crumbs, pudding mix, ending with a layer of cookie crumbs. Carefully scoop into cute (perferably clear for the layers) bowls and place gummy worms on top. Serve and enjoy!
------------
Dirt Cake (upset version):
For when you feel like it, were treated like it, or want to shove someone in it!
1 package Oreo cookies (minus the few that you eat during process)
1 (8 oz) softened cream cheese
About 1 cup of confectioners' sugar (don't measure to harshly, just dump)
2 packages instant chocolate pudding mix
1 (12 oz) container Cool Whip
A bunch of gummy worms
Double bag the cookies in a ziplock bag and beat your frustrations out until they are nicely crumbled. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar (after throwing some around the kitchen), pudding, and 2% milk (instructions on back of pudding box). Stir in the Cool Whip after putting some on your friends' noses. Get a good finger-full to make sure it's delicious. Get a big pan, ungreased. Place 1/2 the cookie crumbs on the bottom, pour in the pudding mix, then the other half of cookies. Next- throw the gummy worms around (admire that they're gummy bears in larva form) on top. Get as many spoons as people present, place in pan in the middle of table, and have at it! Enjoy, babe, 'cause these calories don't count tonight.
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Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich
This takes a few minutes, but it's totally worth it
2 slices thick white bread
2 slices cheddar cheese (provolone is good too)
1 cooked chicken breast
2 strips bacon
1 tablespoon red pepper
2 tablespoons mayonaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
A dash of pepper
1 tablespoon ranch dressing
2 slices tomato
a few shreds of lettuce
First, toast the bread until they are just past the slightly-crunchy stage, but have yet to get too dark. In a small bowl, combine the red pepper, mayo, salt, and dash of pepper. Place the cheese on the chicken breast, and warm in the microwave on low for about two minutes. Next, cook the bacon to whichever level of crunch you prefer. On one slice of toast, spread the mayo mixture. Put the chicken, cheese, tomato, lettuce, and bacon on this slice. Before putting on the second slice of toast, spread the ranch on it. Scarf down and be satisfied when you make a complete mess of your plate. Do not feel judged when you slop up the fallen sauces with your last bite of toast!
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Red Velvet S.A.D. Cupcakes
Single and lovin' it, or taken and lovin' him, you'll still love these.
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 vegetable oil
2/3 cup room temperature buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Start with sifting together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla (we use a big mixer, but hand-held will work out). Add the flour mix to the wet and mix until smooth and combined.
Bake in oven at 350 for about 20 to 22 minutes (maybe use some cute cake papers!). Make sure they're cooked all the way through, and let 'em cool before you frost them, or the frosting will slide away everywhere (not that I know this from experience).
Cream Cheese Frosting:
You can get away with a box for the cake on a horrible day, but this will fix anything- so take the short time to make it!
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 (or to flavor) confectioners' sugar
Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until nice and smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed (so it doesn't fly everywhere), beat until it's all mixed together. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy (and try no to eat all of it before you put it on the cakes).
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Southern Sausage and Grits
For any occasion, but this is what I'm making for my birthday dinner this year!
1 (19 ounce) sausage
3 peppers (of any color, I particularly like yellow, but mixing them is pretty)
1 sliced large sweet onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 to 2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Take the sausage out of its casing and throw that away, because it's gross. Cook the sausage (who needs a man to make the meat?) and the rest of ingredients in a large skillet over med-high, stirring until sausage crumbles and is all brown (no pink- not for sausage) and vegetables are tender.
-Side note: I would suggest letting the sausage sizzle on its own for just a moment before adding the veggies if you're a germaphobe-
Serve over the following YUMMY grits
Parmesan Cheese Grits
(serves 4)
1 cup grits (I love yellow grits, but for this dish I prefer white)
4 cups water
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs butter or margarine
1 (5 ounce) pack shredded Parm cheese
Cook the grits as the pack it comes in tells you to, using our 4 cups of water. Stir in the salt, butter, and cheese. Now you're done. Wasn't that easy?? Serve it up and spoon the sausage and peppers on top.
ENJOY!
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St. Patty's Day: Irish Car Bomb
Get your green on, and get your groove on!
1 half shot Bailey's Irish Creme
1 half shot (your favorite) whiskey
1/2 pint (some people do 3/4, it's up to you and your chugging abilities) Guinness beer
If it's not Guinness, it's not an Irish Car Bomb. Pour the Irish Creme in a shot glass, and then the whiskey. Pour (or if you're bad at pouring a beer have someone else do it) the Guinness in a glass with a nice sized rim. Drop the shot in the glass and chug! The longer you wait to drink it, the worse it will taste because the Irish Creme will begin to curdle in the Guinness, and that's gross. Rumor has it that this taste is familiar to that of chocolate milk. I have to admit that I've never had one, but the people that tell me it's good, one being my own father, have generally good taste so I'll trust 'em.
Have a great St. Patty's and get a ride home!
------------
Homemade Oreos
For the suave baker, who wants "milk's favorite cookie" done the awesome way!
For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar (measure to taste)
1 large egg
Creme filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temp, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (get clear if you're picky about color)
optional gel food dye
1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands,
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy. (Optional: Blend in a tiny bit of gel dye until you reach the desired color.)
6. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie OR get a small spatula and get that creme on there any way you can (this may make a mess, but a yummy one so no worries). Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk!
Notes:
- This recipe (with a few slight modifications) was provided via my good friend Mr. Jat from the blog "My Baking Addiction."
- Making this spirited with school-colored food coloring in the creme is super cool, and you'll look like a pro. Trust me- it's awesome.
