Two Treats for Easter :)

 

 

Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

Ingredients:

-One tablespoon of milk

-One cup of creamy peanut butter

-1/4th a cup of butter

-One tablespoon of shortening

-One, 16 ounce package of

 confectioners' sugar

-Eight, one ounce squares of

 semi-sweet chocolate

 

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl of any size, place the creamy peanut butter, the confectioners' sugar, and the butter. You can include the milk as well, to add moisture to the mixture. Blend all the ingredients until completely blended.

2. Afterwards, shape the mixture into small egg shaped figures. Once they are all formed however you want them to be, insert them into the freezer for about an hour.

3. While the eggs are freezing in the freezer, you can prepare the chocolate. Cut the semi-sweet chocolate into small pieces and then place them on top of a double boiler with shortening. Melt the chocolate over medium heat, constantly stirring so that it will not get stuck on the pan. Continue to stir until all the chocolate is smooth.

4. Once the eggs are frozen, take them out of the freezer and stick a long-tined fork in top of each of the peanut butter eggs. Dip them into the melted chocolate until they are completely covered. Then, drain them on waxed paper.

5. When the eggs are completely cooled and set, decorate the eggs as you please.

 

Mini Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

-One tablespoon of white sugar

-One tablespoon of margarine that is melted

-1/3rd cup of graham cracker crumbs

For the Filling:

-1/4th a cup of white sugar

-1 egg

-1/4th teaspoon of vanilla extract

-Half a teaspoon of grated lemon zest

-1 and a half teaspoons of lemon juice

-One, 8 ounce package of cream cheese that is softened

 

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Then grease a muffin pan (cupcake pan). It could be a 6 cup pan, or a 12 cup pan, whatever size you prefer for the cheesecake sizes. But, I would prefer the 6 cup so that the crust and filling will be able to fit.

2. In a mixing bowl of medium size, mix together the sugar, the melted margarine, and the graham crackers with a fork. Continue to stir until all combined.

3. Use a tablespoon to measure a fair amount of the mixture. Place it then into the bottom of each muffin cup, pressing it firmly towards the bottom. Then place it in the oven to bake for five minutes. After, remove from oven to cool, but keep oven on.

4. While the crust cools, beat together the lemon juice, vanilla, cream cheese, lemon zest, and the cream cheese until fluffy. Then, slowly mix in the egg.

5. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the muffin cups, on top of the crust. Fill until the cup is 3/4th full. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes and then remove from oven to cool completely in the pan. Then remove from the pan and refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

Refection:

To say the truth, I have not actually made both of these recipes, yet they both still look and sound delicious. I was looking for a few recipes of yummy treats that I could make for Easter, and I ran across these two and thought that I just had to make them! They seem so easy and simple, yet it seems as if it would take longer than it really would. I am looking forward to Easter so that I can make these delicious treats. Along with these two, I plan to make more, so that there will be a variety of delicacies that my family and I can try out. I will make sure to post them when I make them.

Also, both of these treats happen to be clean and easy to eat, as they are like finger foods. There will be no hassle in cutting the cheesecake and getting all the plates ready so that everyone can get the same amount. Just set out these treats, and no more having to worry about serving them out! I hope that you guys enjoy these treats. I will make sure to post my response of these treats after trying them on Easter!

 

 

Works Cited

 



"Allrecipes." Allrecipes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

 

Lynne, Valerie. Peanut Butter Easter Eggs. Digital image. Allrecipes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

 

Mini Cheescakes Lll. Digital image. Allrecipes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

Banana and Peanut Butter Sandwich

INGREDIENTS:

Banana

Peanut Butter 

Two slices of bread

Butter knife

DIRECTIONS:
1. First, place the two pieces of bread on a napkin or plate. Face the side up that you wish to be the middle.
2. Second, grab your knife and spread some peanut butter on each side, preferably an equal amount on each slice.
3. Peel the banana and CAREFULLY slice up the banana into equal pieces. Don't cut yourself! Slice it the thick way, not the long way, so that it makes little cylinders of banana. Also shown in the picture to the right.



4. Place the banana slices
(or cylinders, whatever you want to call therm) onto the bread evenly.
5. You can eat any of the extra banana slices that are left over like I do! Yummy bananas(:

6. And FINALLY, you place the other slice of bread that has only the peanut butter on it over the one with bananas and Enjoy!

REFLECTION:

I tend to eat this snack right after school before I have swim practice. It is extremely simple to make, the simplest yet of all my recipes, and is extremely quick as well. Instead of waiting for your food to prepare, impatient from not eating all day, it will be done within minutes. Plus, it is not expensive at all! Also, it is healthy so it doesn't upset my stomach before or during swim. It is a good 'snack' before any sport and will not leave you still hungry! I have also eaten it for breakfast, just changing a little bit of the directions. I just toast the bread! Also, you can exchange the bananas for peanut butter and it will still be delicioso!! Hope you enjoy this quick and easy snack and begin to eat it a lot! Enjoy(:

Peanut Butter-Banana Spirals

My post today is based on the website Cooking Light (http://goo.gl/1SWavml). Part of my New Year's resolution was to begin to eat healthy, and this website has helped in many ways. This website includes just about 80 different healthy, and delicious, snacks. I, like about every other kid, am hungry when I come home from school. I usually ate a large meal that would fill me because I hadn't eaten all day. But, now that it is important to eat breakfast every single day and to eat at every meal, and if hungry in between, to eat small healthy snacks. These recipes that the website has included have allowed me to always have a different variety of healthy snacks during and after school! I will never get sick of having one thing for too long(:

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup reduced-fat peanut butter

1/3 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt

1 tablespoon orange juice

2 ripe bananas, sliced

4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas

2 tablespoons honey-crunch wheat germ

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Combine peanut butter and yogurt, stirring until smooth. Drizzle juice over bananas; toss gently to coat

Spread about 3 tablespoons of peanut butter mixture over each of the tortillas, leaving only a 1/2 inch border.                              http://goo.gl/WMUwyY

Arrange about 1/3 cup of banana slices in a single layer over the peanut butter mixture. Then, combine wheat germ and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over the banana slices. Lastly, roll up the bananas and roll into 6 pieces and enjoy!

It's a New Year 

Last year was a good year but I am hoping that this year will be a better year. I did make a New Year's resolution for last year but all the things that were listed were not all accomplished, and this year, they will be. This year is a new year, meaning a fresh start, not only in school but at home and for myself. 

This year, I plan to drink water constantly. I never really bothered to drink water because I was never really thirsty. I also would always forget to put water into my bag in the mornings because I would get up late. I want to start eating healthy. In the mornings I would never eat breakfast because I never had time to and wasn't really hungry. That then would make me hungry when I got home from school so I would eat like a bunch of snacks and then I would sometimes eat dinner. This is not healthy at all. It has affected my metabolism and weight as well. I am going to work out everyday so that I can get fit and healthy. I want to be stronger than I am now, which isn't that strong. I also just want to be able to be happy about my body, and I am not right now. 

This year, I hope to keep doing good in school and predict that I will not slack like I did in ninth grade during the last semester. I predict that I will find out what I would like to study so hat I can begin to focus all my classes on that area. I have been vacillating between being a lawyer or a pediatrician. But this year I will figure it out. I also predict that this year will be a better year for my family and I, better than last year. I pray that it will be and that my entire family will be safe. 

Bunuelos

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

Cinnamon

Brown Sugar

Sugar

Flour Tortilla's

Olive oil

Frying pan

Tongs

small "Bowl" (one that is flat on the bottom but at the edges curve up):

 

DIRECTIONS: 

       First, place the frying pan on the stove and put the heat up to medium. Then, pour enough olive oil to fill up the frying pan, and enough to be able to dip tortilla into it.

       Then, as it heats up, mix up an even amount of cinnamon, sugar, and brown sugar into the small bowl. This is where you will be dipping the tortillas in.

       After, cut up a few tortillas into triangles. The triangles can but of whatever size preferred. When the tortillas have been sliced up, place one, or two pieces (depending on size of frying pan size), into the oil in the

frying pan and let them sit there for about a minute. Take them
 http://goo.gl/O3QWUV          out with the tongs once they are golden brown. Dip them into the combination of cinnamon, sugar, and brown sugar until fully coated. Repeat with all the pieces of the tortillas. Once done, sit down, and enjoy!

http://goo.gl/Z4KoSq

 

REFLECTION:

     

        Bunuelos is a popular snack in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Turkey, Greece, and Morocco, and is a tradition at Christmas. Though it is a tradition at Christmas, many families, mine included, make these tasty snacks for other celebrations as well. They are perfect for any types of celebrations. They are perfect, finger food, but may be a little messy. Just grab a napkin, though, and all will be good! It should only take 30 minutes to make about 20 to 30 of them, depending on size.

       Tips: I would recommend getting a 24 packet of soft taco flour tortillas for this recipe. Of course, the entire packet is not needed, but the rest can be used for other times. I used 5 of these tortillas and cut them into half, then cut those pieces into half, and then cut those, making  8 triangles out of one tortilla. This made 40 bunuelos, which was the perfect amount. Also, when placing the tortillas into the frying pan, place them carefully in with the tongs, making sure that the oil does not splash out of the pan, burning someone.

       A part that I had difficulty with was knowing how long the tortilla triangles were supposed to be left in the pan. What you want is for the tortilla to form little air bubbles, not be flat entirely. You want the edges to be darker, and the middle to be a little lighter (as shown in the picture). Also, you must remember to flip the tortilla a couple of times so that both sides are equally cooked. Remember these few things, and you will undoubtedly enjoy these tasty treats!(:

Snicker Doodle Cookies

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup of shortening

1 1/2 cup of sugar

2 3/4 cup of flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

2 eggs

2 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp salt

Cinnamon/sugar to roll cookies in

 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, add cream shortening and butter. Then add the 1 1/4 cups of sugar and the eggs. Cream (mix) these ingredients until light and fluffy. After the ingredients are light and fluffy, add flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, and salt; stir until well blended.

 

In a small separate bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar together.

 

Roll the dough into balls the size of walnuts. Then roll these balls into the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Continue doing this until all the dough is used up. Then place the balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart from each other. Place in oven and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until light brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

*Note: cookies puff when they begin to bake and then flatten out with crinkled tops. Yields about 8 cookies.

 

REFLECTION:

When these delicious treats were made, we forgot to add the eggs and the sugar before we started to mix them up. When we finally did add up all these ingredients, we did not make them as light and fluffy as was wanted, so when all the dry ingredients were added, there were large chunks of butter. At first we were unable to identify what the ingredient was, but after smelling and toughing it, we realized that it was a large chunk of butter. This resulted in us having to mix all the ingredients together for a longer time than needed. So, a tip is to actually mix the butter, eggs, cream shortening, and sugar together well, so that no ingredient can be seen by itself! Also, when rolling the dough in the cinnamon and sugar mixture, make sure that every part of the dough is covered, but do not put too much on the dough.

This delicious treat is perfect for parties and little goody bag treats! It will be difficult to keep the children's sticky fingers from snatching at these cookies. Not only will the children be gobbling them down, so will the guests, so make sure there are enough made! :)

CARROT MUFFINS

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

2 cups grated raw carrot(2-3 peeled carrots)

I large apple, peeled and grated

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup coconut

3 large eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

 

OPTIONAL: Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

4 ounces (1/2 cup) cream cheese, room temperature

3 tablespoons confectioners' (powder or icing) sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

        In a large bowl, whisk together the flower, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and the ground cinnamon. After, stir in the nuts that were toasted, and the coconut (sweetened or unsweetened). Then, set aside the bowl.

        In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and the vanilla extract. Fold the wet ingredients along with the grated carrots and apple. After folding the wet ingredients with the carrot and apple, combine this substance with the dry ingredients (flour mixture). Stir until moistened.

       Grab a muffin tray and spray, or place the muffin paper cups on the tray. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick, inserted in the center, comes out clean.

 

Frosting:

       Beat the butter and the cream cheese until very smooth, with no lumps. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until fully incorporated and smooth. Finally, beat in the vanilla extract.

       After removing the muffins from the oven, place them on a wire rack to let cool. After about 10 minutes, remove the muffins from the pan to cool off completely. After cooled off completely, frost the cupcakes.

http://goo.gl/j1aZQD

 

Reflection:

       While baking this delicious, and somewhat healthy recipe, I had the most difficulty knowing when the muffins were ready or not. My muffins were taken out of the oven too soon. I did not know until I was told. The way that you will be able to decide if they are ready or not is by the top. If you are able to press down on them, and then they come right back up, they are not ready. You should be able to leave a dent on the top of them. Also, the top was a light brown, when it needs to look like a little darker than golden brown. Also, if allergic to nuts, or just dislike them, you can take them out, or insert less, if wanted. Another thing to remember is that all looks do not depict the way that the muffins taste. The first time that I ever made these muffins, they did not look so good. But, once I tried them, they tasted delicious. After that, I kept making them, and every time, their looks got better and better.

       This muffins, in my opinion, are great snacks or appetizers to be placed out at parties. They are not messy, and don't even require much time to make. Or, they can be snacks for kids to take to school, or before a sport. Also, around Halloween or thanksgiving is a perfect time to serve them. All your party members will be craving for more of these delicious messy free treats. So, hurry now I start getting these ingredients to make these delicious treats. Oh, and do not forget...Enjoy!