Beef and Broccoli

Thanks to a good friend of mine from Facebook Ann Ball, who publishes recipes daily

(For more recipes, motivation and inspirations join My Weight Support Group: www.facebook.com/groups/aspiredtotransformation

Always looking for new Friends. FRIEND MEhttps://www.facebook.com/ann.ball.73 )

I happened to have stumbled across this recipe the other day and modified it slightly due to my corn allergy.  I still have not found a substitute for soy sauce so it was not totally corn free (sadly) so the allergy pills still had to be taken each time I ate it.  I decided to make just enough rice per each meal so that the rice was hot and fresh each time that we ate.  We had several meals from this dish and I took the left over gravy and froze it to use as a base for the next time that I make the dish.

Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips
1 cup beef or chicken consumme or broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil (I put in 2 tbsp)
3 garlic cloves, minced (I put in 3 heaping tbsp minced garlic in olive oil)
2 tablespoons cornstarch (I used potato starch in its place)
2 tablespoons sauce from the crock pot after being cooked
Fresh broccoli florets (as many as desired) I used frozen
Hot cooked rice

Directions:
1. Place beef in a crock pot.
2. In a small bowl, combine consomme, soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, and garlic. Pour over beef. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. In a cup, stir cornstarch and sauce form the crock pot until smooth. Add to crock pot. Stir well to combine.
4. Add broccoli to the crock pot. Stir to combine.
5. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (the sauce has to boil for it to thicken).
6. Serve over hot cooked rice.
Source: Xtreme Fat Loss Diet

This is a new favorite in our home that actually got my hubby to like broccoli even more.  Hope that You like it as well.

Have a great day,

Tammye Honey

12 Cute Cupcake Recipes For You and the Kids

Here are some great ideas for you from http://www.recipe4living.com/articles/12_cute_cupcake_recipes_for_you_and_the_kids.htm/?utm_source=dailyrecipes&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=Daily%2BRecipes

 

While a chocolate cake or ice cream cake may seem like the best way to celebrate your kid’s birthday, why not change things up with a whole bunch of delicious cupcakes? They’re big enough so that each kid will be full after one, and small enough that they won’t get a dreaded stomach ache after eating them. Your kids can even join in and help you bake a batch of these sweets too!

1. Brownie Candy Cupcakes – Kids AND adults will love these easy to make, delicious cupcakes!
2. Sprinkles Red Velvet Cupcakes – Sprinkles in by far our favorite bakery. We just can’t resist buying their tasty cupcakes by the dozen. Their red velvet cupcake is one of the absolute best cupcakes on the menu.
3. Lemon-Kissed Cupcakes – These light cakes have a touch of lemon on top – absolutely delicious!
4. Chocolate Cupcakes – Make completely from scratch, this is an easy batch to whip up for a school snack or whatever other reason.
5. Black Cat Cupcakes -These adorably cupcakes are easy to make and the kids can help with them too!
6. Pumpkin Cupcakes – The perfect autumn treat, these festive cupcakes have a delicious cream cheese frosting that makes them absolutely irresistible.
7. Banana Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Chunks – I made these for my birthday to bring to the office and they were a big hit! The ganache is a cinch to make and totally worth the tiny bit of extra time.
8. S’More Cupcakes – Don’t trust your little ones (or yourself) near an open flame? Whip up a batch of these cupcakes that taste just like the real thing… without catching on fire.
9. Warm Chocolate Cupcakes with Molten Centers – Baking these is one of the easiest and tastiest ways I know to make a great impression on your dinner guests. Most recipes, including my own, call for just a few ingredients — chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, and a dash of flour. You combine them very quickly. And the cakes don’t take long to bake — barely more than 10 minutes.
10. Bursting Flower Cupcakes – Serve these sunny little cakes and watch the smiles bloom! They’re sweet delight with every bite.
11. Marshmallow Peeps Cupcakes – These festive cupcakes have coconut, Peeps and jelly beans for a sweet Easter treat.
12. Decadent Chocolate Cupcakes – Not your ordinary cake mix cupcakes, these treats are rich and melt in your mouth.

Just some great ideas for you and your family.

Tammye Honey

Real Women of Philadelphia Culinary Quiz

Calling All Cooking Experts: It’s Time for a Quiz!

Happy Friday!

It’s time for another pop quiz.

Recently, we tested your cooking knowledge by asking: HOW WELL YOU KNOW CULINARY LINGO?

And yes, you ladies know it like the back of your hand!

Since this online cooking community has grown so much over the years thanks to your fabulousRECIPE contributions and the tips and tricks you’ve shared, why not keep growing with more knowledge?

Take the quiz below:

Speaking of GLAZE, how delicious does this GLAZED FRUIT PO-BOY look? Bananas, berries, powdered sugar—YUM! Get the recipe…

 http://realwomenofphiladelphia.com/blog/post/calling-all-cooking-experts-its-time-for-a-quiz

Post your answers below and don’t stop at just ONE word, if you think of more, comment again! Don’t forget to share this with your cooking whiz friends to test their knowledge!

Home Made Reese’s Eggs Repost

TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

Homemade Reese’s Eggs

Growing up, our favorite treat in our Easter baskets were Reese’s Eggs. They only come out for a few months each year, but with this recipe, I can eat them all year long!

Ingredients
3 Cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 Cups creamy or crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 Tablespoons milk
oval or egg-shaped cookie cutter
1-2 bags milk chocolate chips (11 oz. each), divided
2 Tablespoons shortening

Directions
Beat powdered sugar, peanut butter and butter together.  Dough will be crumbly.  Add two tablespoons of milk and continue to beat together, until the dough softens.  (Note, dough will still be crumbly- this is fine!)
Working with about 1-2 cups of dough at a time, roll the dough into about 1/2 inch thickness on a flat, floured surface, and use cookie cutter to make eggs.
Place the eggs on a cookie sheet and chill in freezer for at least one hour.
When ready to dip, melt 1 bag of milk chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of shortening in a  microwave.  You may need a bit more shortening to thin it out.
Dip each egg, covering completely, and place on wax paper until set.
If you need more chocolate, melt second bag with more shortening.
I got about 20 eggs using my cutter and rolling to 1/2” thickness.

The amount of chocolate needed will vary, again, based on thickness and shapes of eggs.


Adapted from: Blog is the New Black

Looking for More Easter Treats? Here are some of our favorites:

Easter Egg Basket Cupcakes

Snicker’s Bar Easter Train

No-Bake Chocolate Bird Nest Egg Cookies

Cadbury Mini Egg Blondies

I am a recipe finder today…woo hoo…I so wish I could make these corn free lol…

Hope you enjoy

Tammye Honey

An Irish Dessert

So today I am all about the Irish…Hey now my last name is Green lol…

This one is courtesy of another great site I love http://www.chow.com

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes

 

Adapted from Dave Lieberman

I love cooking with beer, and that’s no exception when it comes to desserts. Of all beers, Guinness is the perfect one for desserts because of its distinct chocolate and coffee notes. Pairing it with actual chocolate is the obvious choice. These cupcakes are light in texture but heavy in the chocolate department. The white cream cheese icing reminds me of the creamy white head that Guinness is famous for.

This dish was featured as part of ourSt. Patty’s Day Recipes photo gallery.

TIME/SERVINGS
Total Time: 50 mins
Active Time: 25 mins
Makes: 24 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes:
Unsalted butter, melted, for coating the muffin pans (optional)
1 (11.2-ounce) bottle Guinness stout
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt

For the frosting:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
Pinch fine salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 pound powdered sugar
Natural unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS

For the cupcakes:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Place cupcake liners in two (12-well) muffin pans; alternatively, coat the wells with melted butter. Set the pans aside.
2. Whisk together the Guinness, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla in a large bowl until combined. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until completely incorporated. Whisk in the sour cream.
3. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a second large bowl to aerate and combine. Gradually fold this mixture into the wet Guinness mixture. Divide the batter among the muffin wells.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pans on a wire rack and let the cupcakes cool completely before removing from the pans.

For the frosting:

1. Place the cream cheese and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually beat in the heavy cream until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually mix in the powdered sugar until completely incorporated and smooth, about 3 minutes.
2. Top each cupcake with a heap of frosting and dust with cocoa powder.

Happy Baking and preparing for your festivities… hope this helps

Tammye Honey

Related articles

• Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake (thebakingbird.com)
• Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes (shinylifeblog.com)
• Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey’s Irish Cream Frosting (5minutesformom.com)

Recipes in Time for St. Patrick’s Day

No Pinching Here: Five Green Dishes for St. Patrick’s Day!

Mar 13, 2013

1 OF 7

Next

 

Hello Everyone!

Looking for a green dish to help you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Look no further.

We’ve got five recipes that won’t get you pinched, all created by Real Women like you in our wonderful online cooking community!

Click through our slideshow to get recipes for these delicious green dishes and test your Irish food knowledge on each slide—answers are at the end, tell us how many you got right!

Smashed Peas & Mint

MEH

posted Oct 15, 2010

I love peas mostly fresh but frozen too. I even grew my own for awhile… so good. One day while visiting my parents, my mom (not a huge veggie fan) said let’s do something different with the peas… mashed… maybe?….it has been a family favorite since then…

INGREDIENTS

• 10 ounces 2 – 10 oz bags frozen peas
• 1 cup milk
• 4 ounces PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons mint, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Thaw and drain the peas
2. In a medium saucepan roughly mash the peas; Add the butter, 1 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp ground pepper and cook over low heat
3. Add the cream cheese and milk until well blended; Add the mint, stirring until bubbly

Green Beans and Sautéed Potatoes

 

Smoky bacon, hearty potatoes, fresh cut green beans—we’ll be honest, you’re going to want to make this for St. Paddy’s day and then some…

GET THE RECIPE

Fresh Cut Green Beans, Sauteed with Potatoes, Bacon and Onions

Rebecka Evans

posted Aug 1, 2012

This recipes is one of my favorite summer fresh creations. Filled with flavorful memories of hot summer days in the garden with mom, the crisp cut green beans snap alongside the creamy texture of the sauteed potatoes and onions. Bacon rounds out the dish with its savory smoke flavor. The simple flavors of summer express themselves in perfect harmony in this basic side dish!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound fresh cut green beans
• 1 medium onion
• 4 medium potatoes
• 1/4 pound bacon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 scallions
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook bacon in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat until crisp, remove bacon and all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat
2. melt 1 tablespoon butter in pan
3. add potatoes and onions and cook covered, stirring frequently until potatoes are tender but not soft
4. add cut green beans, remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cover and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally
5. salt and pepper to taste
6. serve with red wine vinegar, garnish with chopped scallions

Lettuce Soup

 

Serve up a warm bowl of green soup. Fresh mint, broth, iceberg lettuce—your taste buds will thank you.

GET THE RECIPE

Minty Lettuce Soup

MEH

posted Sep 24, 2010

I love serving soup in a shot glass as an appetizer. You would never guess it’s lettuce. How many times have you had to throw out the lettuce because it turned brown in the crisper (or rotter as I call it)? Now you can put it to delicious use.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 heads iceburg lettuce, roughly chopped
• 1 cup onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup packed fresh mint
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 4 ounces PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Put the lettuce, onion, mint and chicken broth in a large pot
2. Bring to a boil then lower heat to medium and simmer for 25 minutes
3. Let cool slightly then place in a blender for one minute and strain the soup. (You will have to do this in 2 stages to not fill the blender too much) set aside;
4. Melt the butter in a medium pan over medium heat, add the flour and stir one minute
5. Add the soup and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly
6. Remove from heat, add the cream cheese and salt & pepper to taste
7. Tip: You can serve this soup in shot glasses; add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a fresh mint leaf to decorate
8. Tip: You can use any lettuce you have on hand and for a vegetarian meal you can use vegetable broth

Green Guacamole

 

Rich and creamy guacamole? Make an extra batch because you won’t be able to put this down!

GET THE RECIPE

Awesome Guacamole

Erika Christian

posted Aug 3, 2012

Rich and creamy guacamole, hard to stop eating!

• 

Tags: None

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces Philadelphia whipped cream cheese
• 3 Ripe avacadoes
• 1 packet of guacamole seasoning mix (your choice)
• 1 pinch garlic salt (season to your taste)

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel and remove seed from avacadoes then mash in a bowl.
2. In the same bowl mix in the whipped cream cheese.
3. Stir in seasoning packet and garlic salt.
4. Place in fridge for 20 min to bring out flavor.
5. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Green Brownies

 

They’re rich with chocolate and they’re green? What’s the special ingredient that makes these brownies pinch-free? Find out…

Green tea Cream cheese Brownies

Yumiko Eto

posted Sep 16, 2011

These brownies are rich and chocolaty, and absolutely fabulous! Green tea cream cheese mixtures make these brownies outstanding! A little bite is not enough. Every time I make these brownies, I put them as snack’s in my girls’ school lunches. After they come back from school, they tell me, ” Mommy, those brownies are very popular among my friends! Next time put more brownies in my lunch, PLEASE!!”

INGREDIENTS

• 5 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
• 2 ounces sugar
• 2 teaspoons green tea powder
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325*F. Grease an 8×8 inch square pan.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and water. Cook over medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Mix together softened cream cheese, sugar, green tea powder well.
4. Drop Green tea cream cheese mixture onto sections the chocolate mixture and use a toothpick to draw the Green Tea mix across the brownie to create a look like marble.
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies rise. Do not overbake! Cool in pan and cut into squares.
6. Serve and enjoy!

I do not always copy and paste an entire article…this time I did just so you are not jumping screens.  This is such a great website for ideas.

http://realwomenofphiladelphia.com

Enjoy cooking

Tammye Honey

What Can I Make with Peanut Butter (Besides PB & J)?

Straight from http://realwomenofphiladelphia.com/blog/post/what-can-i-make-with-peanut-butter-besides-pb-j

I could not think of three ideas that are better…

Mar 11, 2013

Happy Monday!

We love peanut butter: crunchy or creamy, it’s the perfect spread on an apple or warm slice of toast, and you can never go wrong with a classic pb & j.

But what else can we make with peanut butter?

Thanks to the talent and creative skills in this online cooking community of ours, peanut butter has been transformed.

A. Peanut Butter fanatics, this is it: smooth caramel, decadent chocolate and that nutty flavor we LOVE! Grab this CANDY BAR CHEESECAKE SWIRL BROWNIES recipe and make these tonight!

B. Enjoy the creamy peanut butter and crunchy peanuts in this SWEET AND SOUR THAI CHICKEN recipe. Make sure there’s enough for seconds…

C. Rich chocolate, bananas, white chocolate curls, and creamy peanut butter inside? Heaven. ThisCHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE PIE recipe is tonight’s dessert, and maybe tomorrow’s too…

So how do you want to eat peanut butter? A, B or C? Tough choices. Leave us a comment!

Happy Cooking

Tammye Honey

Can You Unscramble These Tasty Treats?

Try uncovering the names of these desserts without clicking the link—use their ingredients as clues! Leave us a comment telling us how many you unscrambled but don’t look down at others’ answers!

Recipe clues: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

How many did you unscramble? Tell us below and if you like what someone else said, hit the “thumbs up” button on their comment! If you haven’t tried this new feature, you must!

 Excerpt Photo Source

http://realwomenofphiladelphia.com/blog/post/can-you-unscramble-these-tasty-treats

So let me know how many you were able to do and if this was fun for you…I love a brain teaser and when it has to do with food it is even more fun for me.  Let me know how you feel.

Thank you for reading

Tammye Honey

Dinner In A Hurry

When I found out that I was going to have hungry grandchildren to visit yesterday I wanted to make something quick and easy so that I could sit and visit while it cooked.  Due to a time crunch on the visit as the boys had to return home to get ready for school for today it had to be a quick meal.  Their mom had said that she could pick up a pizza on the way.

Homemade and nutritious for me always wins hands down.  I said I had already started to just come and visit.

I took chicken thighs and placed them in my roaster pan where I poured Wishbone Lite Italian Dressing on them enough to well coat them.  I covered with foil and placed them in the oven at 350 F.

I then proceeded to peel potatoes.  Both yellow butter and Red potatoes since I did not have enough of the yellow butter ones.  I placed them in a pan of water cubed with a hint of sea salt and let them boil with the cover slightly ajar.

I then took one container of Vanilla Yogurt, a container of Sour Cream, several varieties of fruit that I had (Mine were canned although frozen do work well) and 1/4 cup of marshmallows  I mixed them together in the bowl and let them sit in the fridge.

I was able to sit and visit, only being interrupted by my timer every fifteen minutes to turn the chicken.

The potatoes were finished and we added one stick of butter and one container of sour cream to whip them with the beater..

The thighs were done and we ate.  The meat fell easily from the bone and was very tender.  To have the boys comment how good the chicken was felt good.

They were surprised when I said that I had dessert.  First response was “What is that?”  I handed each a fork to stick in the mixture to taste.

Each had a big bowl of it and the last one finished the bowl.  I had a bag of coconut on the side to sprinkle on the top if the wanted it.  (I do not care for coconut so it always is a side option for me.)

A side salad was the other option which was offered.  Simple cherry tomatoes and romaine lettuce with a choice of dressings.

Complete meal that was quick and easy with no measuring and I was able to spend time with my guests.

Thank you for reading.

Tammye Honey

What is in the Fridge Today?

As I walk to my fridge and look I am faced as many women with the task of being inventive and still staying on budget.

So far my ingredients include

Perhaps some chicken or beef…have not decided yet but this is my starting block for dinner.  Since it is not grocery day I have to work with what I have in the house.  I do not feel like soup so a type of empanada it is.

Hubby was no help when I asked him what he wanted and he said whatever I am having.

As I am going through our mini freezer, what do I stumble upon but a ready made meal.

I will have to take an allergy pill but with coupons I paid next to nothing for this and the chicken was on sale too.

Contessa makes a great line of quick meals for two. Or for one with leftovers for next day. Look for coupons as they are always available too.  I add meat to mine as hubby likes lots of meat.

Perdue is now feeding their chickens without chemicals and organic.  They are not abusive so I try to stay clear of off brands that might be a deal but not good.

Thank goodness for coupons and being able to use them…

I guess the left over chicken will be the empanadas of tomorrow… and dinner is made for tonight…so I can clean today.  Yeah! I need to read the 12 secrets to planning meals why don’t you peek at it too?  Tell her I sent you please…Thank you.

One of my readers http://stuphblog.wordpress.com has asked what is an empanada so here I am adding an explanation of one of the easiest meals to make for a quick dinner.

You start with an shell…

I love this brand as it is made with flour base that does not have bromine and no Corn…

I add my hubby’s favorite cheese

Medium Heat on the stove for the frying pan or griller

I spray the pan with Pam to not have a greasy empanada

I cut my chicken into strips and brown them on both sides or brown hamburger or stew beef or turkey burger….

Here is where it gets fun….

You can add…Onions

Diced up and brown in the meat while it is cooking

Green peppers or hot peppers if you so choose

Spinach if you want to be healthy

Then set aside after cooked and partially cooled.

In a clean pan that has been sprayed with the Pam cooking spray

Add your tortilla shell then on half of the shell add your meat mixture.  Around the edges I sprinkle my favorite cheese as well as across the top.

Then fold over the other half so that it seals with the cheese. Press down with your spatula.  Brown on both sides then serve with

This is to dip your empanada in

Enjoy

Tammye Honey

Related articles

• 12 Secrets To Planning Menus (designmom.com)